Teachers get ready to protest outside House of Representatives

Jaime Panti

Primary school students will be staying at home this Friday. Most of the week they ‘talked the talk’ and tomorrow teachers will ‘walk the walk’ on Independence Hill. The latest face-off between teachers and the government is over the passage of the Education and Training Bill. The Belize National Teachers Union (B.N.T.U.) has asked GOB to delay the Bill, because it is opposed to the removal of corporal punishment when there is not an option in place to ensure discipline in schools. As we reported in our newscast on Wednesday, the B.N.T.U. confirmed today that at least eighty percent of its membership will march in the capital.  So while the House of Representatives meets inside the National Assembly Building, the teachers will gather outside, placards in hand, to protest government’s decision to proceed with the bill. B.N.T.U.’s President, Jaime Panti, told media this afternoon that all ten branches will be represented in Belmopan this Friday.

Isani Cayetano

“Will this action tomorrow see the full support of all ten branches of the union because last week Thursday in Belmopan there were some teachers who were already complaining about not being able to get time off and having problems with management with regards to coming out and lending support for whatever action the union decides to take.”

Jaime Panti, BNTU National President

“All union members will be there tomorrow.  That is a decision that is the way we operate is that with decisions of this nature we take it to our branches and the membership directs our leaders as to how we move.”