Two thousand teachers protest Minister of Education’s bill
It is one of the largest demonstrations against this government, and the ire of the teachers had been building up for some time. Estimates are as high as two thousand strong but by and large the teachers were orderly and peaceful. A News Five team was stationed outside the House from where Isani Cayetano has a report.
Isani Cayetano
“Independence Hill is today the scene of a massive demonstration as teachers from across the country have gathered here to protest the passage of the Education and Training Bill, more specifically as it relates to the removal of corporal punishment from primary and secondary schools.”
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
It is estimated that upwards of a thousand five hundred educators belonging to the Belize National Teachers Union made the journey to the capital city. But while busloads came from the far reaches of the country, the Belize District branch, the largest to be represented, encountered problems early in the journey to Belmopan. According to Assistant National Secretary Adelaida Guerra these two buses were stopped in Hattieville because of a slipup in paperwork while organizing the trip.
Adelaida Guerra, Assistant National Secretary, B.N.T.U.
“The situation here is that whenever we got to this point the traffic officer asked for the road service permit in order for us to proceed to Belmopan and he didn’t have one so he said that we cannot proceed until we produce one. So I had to call my president and asked her if she could work on it and she is working on it in the city because we still have other buses from the Belize Branch in the city.”
In Belmopan teachers paraded to the lower flat of Independence Hill with B.N.T.U. National President Jaime Panti at the helm. The march was the collective decision of all ten branches when their request to delay the second and third readings of the Education and Training Bill was not allowed. For them the demand to postpone government’s elimination of corporal punishment without first establishing a practical alternative fell on deaf ears. Some teachers argue that when passed, they will be rendered powerless in the classroom.
Faustino Juchim, Primary School Teacher
“If there is no alternative the teachers or the teacher in particular will not be able to even talk to the child so there has to be the alternative.”
The issue of corporal punishment is one amongst a raft of other problems the teachers union is currently facing and was the focus of the demonstration. At the secondary level teachers also disagree with the action taken by the Ministry of Education.
Reginald Rodriguez, High School Teacher
Reginald Rodriguez
“I teach at a girls’ school and I’ve seen there were there is a lot of disrespect for teachers for example students would pass along the hallway and would literally be knocking us over as teachers. In some cases you have the talkback to teachers in the classroom and that sort of a thing. But I am not in a situation where there are boys in our school and I know in terms of disciplining boys it is really quite a challenge for teachers. But as I said before I can foresee that the removal of corporal punishment would put quite a severe strain on us the teachers in the secondary school.”
Endevora Jorgenson, B.N.T.U.’s National Secretary, is calling for the ministry to address other pending issues.
Endevora Jorgenson, National Secretary, B.N.T.U.
“There’s the issue of the wording of teachers’ license so that needs to be looked at if they have a communicable disease the wording has to be very careful. There’s also the issue of the chairperson of the board of the Teaching Service Commission that also we recommended. We don’t know where we are with that. And finally there is also the issue of the appeals tribunal that there was a conflict of interest and in all fairness to the government they agree with us. If there’s a conflict we need to work it so we need to keep working.”
Shortly after the arrival of the Belize District contingent, veteran unionist George Frazer roused the gathering with an impromptu address on the plight of teachers.
George Frazer
George Frazer, Executive Secretary, B.N.T.U.
“Our thing is that our education system we have lot of rules and policies in the act and thing but people are not following it, sometimes even the ministry. Our system is failing. They are talking about education for years getting the largest share of the budget but if you don’t have proper structures in place, many of the managers are not following the rules.”
The strength of the union showed today in the numbers that came out but what happens when the dust settles?
Jaime Panti, National President, B.N.T.U.
Jaime Panti
“I cannot speak to that. I need to tell you that we understand the law. The government has the majority in the house so they can pass the bill. I understand that, we are not going to query about that and I cannot tell you we are moving because we need to reconvene. I need to call an emergency meeting with my council and from there we will thrash the way forward.”
At about two o’clock Education Minister Patrick Faber began his presentations before the House as the throng of protesters made its way to the Belmopan City Center where a final address was given by union leader Jaime Panti. The union says it will continue consulting with its members this coming week to chart their next move. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
The Minister of Education Patrick Faber has once more displayed his arrogance and immaturity as he spoke with trembling voice as kids in tantrum who are pissed because he did not get to have his arrogance unquestioned! Once more proving that change of political party does NOT translate to change in policies, transparency, corruption, arrogance, dictatorship, nepotism, …..
I sympathize with you teachers, but what if all parents of children that have been abused physically,
emotionally and sexually by teachers demostrate against you guys, how would you feel about that???
The bible say God hates when his little ones are being taken advantage of, yet I know some of you teachers would never hurt a rich childs with a NAME, you take out your frustration against the less fortunate!!!!
Corporal punishment is not a bad way of disciplining our children however some other form of discipline must be set in place immediately. Just putting a sudden stop to it without educating the public would be chaotic.
Children are already saying you can not lash me or my parents will report you, or you will loose your job.
People, could you imagine what challenges our teacher’s would endure if this bill is passed?
Macal, How would the parents that were abused in any form demonstrate against the teachers? You can only demonstrate to remove the guilty person and I do not even think you would have to go that far. Teacher’s are suppose to be PROFESSIONALs remember so if they are not performing right they get weeded out.
Good luck TEACHERS!
Hey teachers, teach all you know to the kids who want to learn and to hell with the others. Everybody want their children to learn, but under these circumstances the teachers are not paid nearly enought to tolerate the B.S. from unruly kids and as they say, the chip don’t fall far from the tree. If I teach your kids and they lack discepline, yes I’ll wip their ass or you can teach them yourself.
I don’t think corporal punishment is a bad thing.With the present crime rate in Belize,i don’t know what is going to happen in Belize if Corporal punishment is taken out of the schools.I assume every student is going to do what he or she feels like doing.Why are we the Belizean people trying to adopt American system when we don’t have the logistics to deal with all these kids that are droping out of school because of a lock of discipline.Imagine what’s going to happen when corporal punishment is taken out of school.Why not make laws to protect the teachers.
i am a student, studying have been fun, but its changing and for worst.
Corporal Punishment is NOT BAD, so far i have been studying in the west (Cayo) and yes its a pain for teachers to discipline a student who threaten you to call 911 or to report you, i have seen it .
when the student is not disciplining at home, the first thing some parents say “i will send you to school cause there the teacher will teach you to respect and she/he will discipline you” .tell me if i am wrong!!!
so what will happen if teachers cant discipline us students what will happen, lots of us will end up in involved in gangs,drugs and worst destroying the little we have (Belize).
I know and i have seen that there are some teachers that abuse of the power they have and i think that if the government or any educational institute before employing any teacher they should screen the teacher meaning do some research, not just because the teacher have a degree employ he/she or worst because of politics, because allot of teachers just do it for the money cause there is nothing else to do…
I think students of this country have a say,parents have a say, also teachers have a say; cause not all class rooms are the same…
as a teacher myself i do not uphold Faber’s irresponsible, egotistical, and arrogant decision. I would love for him to come to my school, teach my students and go through the challenges, we as teachers face with certain students. I’m not claiming that all students display negative behavior. No! but there are those who are way past the point of expulsion and cannot be expelled because of our governing system. Imagine being told by a student that he has a gun and he will shoot you! That is just one of the many threats I’ve gotten from students. Some students bring knives to school, or sell drugs at school…and yet some parents dont even come to school when they’re requested in reference to their child’s behavior. So what are we to do if their parents do not support and there is no other form of discipline??? When i get shot I hope he buys my casket!!!
Teachers this is BS …..you swallow this one… other issues of the like will follow and you will……swallow it again. Take heed
WHERE IS THE PROBLEM? PEOPLE OF BELIZE IS NOT STUPID, THE POLITICIANS NEEDS TO TAKE THE SAME CLASSES THE TEACHERS ARE TAKING TO BETTER THEMSELF, WE HAVE SOME DUMBA&& POLITICIANS THAT NEEDS TO SIT ON THE SIDELINE AND DON’T SAY SH!#….WHAT TYPE OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IS THAT , IF THAT IS MY HOUSE ,YOU BETTER FOLLOW MY RULES, DAME, THAT HOUSE IS OUT OF CONTROL LIKE THE STREETS OF BELIZE. WOW I SEE WHO THESE GANGS ARE LOOKING AT AND ARE FOLLOWING THE POLITICIANS ACTION.
Hi vey nice interesting blog im from manchester i found this on yahoouk i found this blog very interesting good luck with it i will return to this blog soon