B.N.T.U. wants GOB to postpone Education and Training Bill

Jaime Panti

The Belize National Teacher’s Union has been at odds with government over a myriad of issues; its latest beef is that since 2008, it has not been able to sit with government to negotiate the collective bargaining agreement.  And the Prime Minister has said increments are not in the pipeline for the next financial year.  Another irritant is the issue of corporal punishment, which is contained in the Education and Training Bill that will go before the House of Representatives this Friday.  While the B.N.T.U. has fallen in line with the Teacher’s Commission, it does not support the removal of corporal punishment from the primary and secondary schools without an alternative means of discipline. Two non-government organizations support the government’s bid. They are the National Committee for Families and Children and the National Organization for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect who say they have no opposition to ban physical punishment from the classroom. B.N.T.U. is calling for a delay of the Bill asking government instead to come up with another option.

Jaime Panti, National President, BNTU

“When you read all the positions of B.N.T.U., at no point in time are we advocates of corporal punishment; that has been our position.  Our position also insists—and we know that corporal has to, sooner or later it has to be removed.  We understand that but systems, structures, mechanisms have to be put in place before we can remove corporal punishment.  That has been the position of BNTU.  So at no point in time NOPCAN or the ministry are trying to distort BNTU’s position.  No, but we are focused on the issue of corporal punishment.”