An Update on the Situation at Saint Mary’s Primary School

Last year, Saint Mary’s Primary School in Belize City received the devastating news that its school building on Gabourel Lane would have been demolished and the students would have had to be given work-from-home packages until a solution was worked out. In September, the upper division was relocated to the Samuel Haynes Building on Mahogany Street while the lower division classes were housed in buildings set up at the rear of the compound. In an update to the situation, during a visit to the institution today, News Five found workmen constructing a two-storey wooden structure which will see all students returned to one compound. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Today, construction was underway at the Saint Mary’s Primary School compound, at the rear of the original concrete structure. In 2022, the two storey building was deemed a hazard and unsafe for use by the institution. The upper division had to be relocated to the Samuel Haynes Building on Mahogany Street. The lower division students take classes inside wooden structures at the back of the compound. Acting Principal Carol Flowers says that the split has reduced their student population, and has increased their expenses.

Carol Flowers

Carol Flowers, Acting Principal, St. Mary’s Anglican Primary School

“It has been a great challenge, being back and forth, having issues, dealing with issues on both compounds, paying bills on boat compounds. It’s a lot. It has it’s challenges. I mean we were excited at first, but we have to be dealing with heat, with so many different things. I mean adjusting to one level now because first we had two at every level, now it is only one. We had to cut off the enrolment numbers. So our numbers have dropped drastically based on where we are with the buildings that we have.”

The school falls within the Fort George division and Area Representative Henry Charles Usher says that he has been working along with the Ministry of Education to assist.

Henry Charles Usher

Henry Charles Usher, Area Representative, Fort George

“It is something that the Ministry of Education and myself as the area rep are working on. Unfortunately, the school is still in a state where they need to send the students to different locations to have classes, but there is a plan in place to rebuild the school make it even better so that all the students can be housed and schooled right there at the location.”

At this time, a four classroom wooden structure is being constructed; those classrooms will be assigned to standards three, four, five and six in an effort to have all students return to one compound by the start of the new year.
Carol Flowers

“We are ecstatic that construction has started and we are hoping that by January, everybody will be on the same compound. So we are hoping that pray God no hurricane to slow down the process that we all will be here in January.”

Duane Moody

“It is a building that will house how many classrooms?”

Carol Flowers

“Four classrooms, standard three to six will be in these classrooms that they are building.”

Reporter

“Has the quality in education dropped any at all seeing that the students have to be here there and everywhere?”

Henry Charles Usher

“I haven’t seen the quality of education dropped. As a matter of fact, our resilient students in the Fort George division, at Saint Mary’s, they’ve actually embraced this challenge and they are doing well. I don’t see any drop-offs in terms of what is being produced and when they go to high school, they are producing in high school as well. So I think it is important to appreciate and to recognise that resiliency.”

Enrolment is now down to two hundred and two students. Duane Moody for News Five.