Santa Familia residents to protest alleged school abuses
Just recently we heard about the problems at Mount Carmel School when students were sent home over unsold raffle tickets. And now there is trouble at another school in the west. Residents of Santa Familia will take to the streets on Tuesday morning to protest what they say is abuse of authority on the part of their primary school’s principal. This comes after fourteen years of her tenure as the head of the Roman Catholic institution. News Five’s Isani Cayetano was in Santa Familia today and has the following report.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
On Monday, May tenth a letter signed by over eighty parents of children enrolled at Santa Familia RC School was forwarded to several individuals including officials from the Ministry of Education as well as the area representative and village council chairman. The letter calls for the immediate removal of Antonia Flowers as the school’s principal based on a number of allegations ranging from nepotism to conflict of interest and misappropriation of school funds. This afternoon over twenty-five parents gathered at a nearby residence to organize tomorrow’s action. Norma Tun is the mother of two students who attend Santa Familia R.C. She says the children were required to pay for books that were donated free of cost by government.
Norma Tun, Parent
Norma Tun
“Last year I pay a hundred and ten dollars for my baby that started school and we find out that some of the books were donated from the Ministry of Education and the principal didn’t give us a report of that. So what I am asking is and telling her where and why didn’t she report us that? Why didn’t she give us back our money because that is our money that we try to sometimes save?”
An invoice issued by BRC Printing shows that the school is in arrears of two thousand and fifty-nine dollars for the purchase of books over the period 2007 to present. According to the parents the cost of the books was paid in full because it is a requirement to collect report cards.
Norma Tun
“Why does this balance is there from 2007? And we have been paying; we have been paying because if you don’t pay you don’t get your report card. That is the rule here in Santa Familia. You don’t pay, you don’t get your report card. That’s what we want to know. How is it that the school owe this and why didn’t she come and discuss this with the parents when she do meeting because if we are paying why does we have this and from 2007?”
Among the many claims made by the parents is that the school’s cafeteria is being ran by the principal’s mother. They contend that the building was donated to the school for the benefit of its students.
matilda tun
Matilda Tun, Parent
“There is nothing at the school compound that we could say that it was done by the parents or by the parents’ efforts. We have a cafeteria, it was donated; we have this sewerage, it was donated. We don’t have nothing and there is cafeteria that is run by her parents. They live in there until they heard about this already cleaned [it] and it was given to the school to benefit from it. And the electricity is paid by the school so we don’t really see why we should have her there when nothing is done.”
Antonia Flowers has been principal for the past fourteen years and while she deferred comment on the allegations made against her residents are calling for a full investigation into her management of the primary school and subsequently her removal.
Norma Tun
“It is time for a change because first of all the principal when she wants to do something she doesn’t come to the parents and gather the parents and discuss the situation. She sold the library, she didn’t tell the parents nothing. We just find out and we just see that the library wasn’t there and on a meeting we asked her what happened to the library and she get freaked out. And she started to say that she already send us the report, she didn’t send us the report but like how she see the people starting to ask questions she said that she will be sending a report. She said she sold it for a thousand dollars and she sold the library to her sister.”
Among the demands made by the parents is an audience with the District Roman Catholic Schools Manager; the formation of a parents teacher association and the selection of a new principal. Tuesday’s protest begins at nine a.m. in front of Santa Familia RC School. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
More on this on Tuesday’s newscast.
speak up parents you are the ones that struggle to put up the little money you can in this hardtimes for a scum principal like her to take advantage of you parents. if she needs to be removed please make sure you put a good one that will be a benefit to your children first.
wow, corruption everywhere, how dare these principal take over the school finances for her ? personal use!!!
It so sad, is she has children what example she is setting for them!!!
Something definately fishy going on here, and I bet that it’s only the tippy-tip of the iceberg! Just goes to show how deep corruption is rooted in Belize…….
and in arenal village we have some druky teacher’s last year for september they make queen and king contest and at the end they of the day some of the teacher lock them self’s in the class room and make party but I big party’ with loud music and next day they make the poor kids to clean the sthinky class so nasty teacher’s every where’
Well…it is about time people stand up and speak up! Corruption has many faces and many “positions” in this world…especially our little Belize! For someone “reigning” in this position for 14 YEARS! Where is the MInistry of Education….equal education for all? I want to hear the Minister of Education speak up now…no shady meetings behind closed doors. This has been happening for such a long time and I bet you there are more things that yet have to be left uncovered. It is more a dictatorship that she has over this school. How can she sell the library..if it was actually sold? Isn’t that supposed to be school property for the benefit of the children? Where is the school management then? How can this be happening for such a long time and the Ministry does not do anything about it? This is just one of the many reasons why Education is never going forward…the children are just left abandoned in a school and nobody cares about their future! Just because a school is located in the rural area does not compensate for the MInistry to ignore their plight!
We shall wait and see what exactly happens…and no surprises if she still stays there for another 20 more years! The Management sure wants her there to continue doing her own good to the Santa Familia people! Shame on you Ms. Flowers…how can you have face to hear all these allegations and still continue practising these things?
Aren’t people innocent until proven guilty? These are allegations. Doesn’t it seem fair to with hold judgment until after the investigation?
YESSS! FINALLLY OUR POOR PEOPLE REALIZE IT. I AM SO GLAD , SO HAPPY & SO PROUD OF THE PEOPLE OF SANTA FAMILIA FOR COMING UP TO FACE THIS WORTHLESS, MERCILESS, TREACHEROUS “PRINCIPAL” WHO DOES NOT DESERVE A POSITION AT S.F.R.C.SCHOOL. YEPP, SHE TOOK THAT MONEY TO TAKE VACATIONS ABROAD. WHILE ABROAD SHE ASKED FOR HELP FOR THE POOR KIDS & THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY & SHE NEVER GAVE THE HELP TO THE NEEDY PEOPLE OF S.FAMILIA. QUE VERGUENZA, HABER ADONDE METES LA CARA DE LADRONA!!!!! QUE POCA COSA ERES!!!!! WE NEED A LOYAL & CARING PRICIPAL FOR OUR SCHOOL IN S.FAMILIA!!!! REMOVE THAT RUBBISH!!!!!!
In my concern….. honesty is the best policy! we are all supposed to stand up for our rights…. Never let us be scared of the what others will say… worry about what you have to say>>>> TRUTH!
Mein, I am glad the parents are coming together, that is why parents get involved in your child’s education, ask all that you do not understand, and if not speak to the managers, there needs to be transparency and accountability on both sides….parent, teacher in association for the child-is why there should always be a PTA
There are 3 sides to s story. I guess many parnets don’t understand the expenses of running a school Imagine Santa Familia school with a risograph machine, now they should be proud they are being upgrade to use flush toilets. I know the school has it’s challenges but it is a very progressive school and lots of organizations have put programs there. The sad part is that the instigator is biting the hand that fed him. Let him tell the parents it was this same principal that got $$ for him when he urgently needed it after he was shot. You want to go backward and use pit toilets again then put a new principal. I am sure that 60% fully support this principal.
Lets See what our Notorious Minister Of education has to do about this. He should atleast make a statement with this. Set an example. What is the reason for that principal doing this hmmm? let s stand up before its too late. As parents once somethin is heard such as these u need to say something because our government cannot do anything unless they know ….
Stand up for your beliefs parents. Stand up and make sure you are heard. this country is so corrupt and its disgusting. Teachers no longer have love for their job and if you see this unjust then stand up and let them know that you REFUSE to be taken for granted. Many parents are single mothers who are fighting to send their children to school. Do not be intimidated by people who have degrees behind them. It is time for US to start taking issues into our own hands. this government gives us NO HOPE!
commme onnn parents don’t give upp, u guys just be strong and show the principal that what she is doing is definately not fair. about the new bathrooms its a good idea but about charging parent for it is not fair because it was donated to the schoool. like what martha says dat parents don”t now the expenses of runnin a school is, we all now that but miss flowers is not updating the parent about it, tell me why is there a bill of two thousan and odd dollars from since 2007, whyyy? where is the labrary? she sold it,,, why would a principal sell a donated labrary?????…
today the parents here in santa familia are been taken as a fool by the ministry of education, yesterday for the strick they were told mis flowers was out of being principal. this mornin one of the parents was tellin me that its a lie she can’t be taken out, why because the catholic parish doesn”t want. WHATTT IS DATTTT>…PPLL PLS. the parents even said dat the ministry of education can’t do nothing. BUTTT WHYYY.
one of the parents also said that this mornin mis flowers and other persons where in the office tearin files and shoutin at parent alot of thingss. i asked why would she be tearing files??? why. i don”t now what the ministry of education is there if they can’t handle this problem. the parents of santa familia needs something done about this, pleaaaaaaase. if they don”t take miss flowers out in the good way, they will in the bad wayyy. is that wat the ministry of education wantsss?
This is in response to Marta’s comment. Lets set the records straight, Millard Tun at no time needed any money to cover any expense when he was shot, so don’t let Mrs. Flowers fool you and the public, because she is use to bs people. All medical bills were covered fully by social security and Bowen and Bowen who never once abandoned him. Secondly the family not once NEEDED, REQUESTED or RECIEVED any money from Mrs. Antonia Flowers. As a matter of FACT the one who is always in need and desperate for money is her, walk the streets of Santa Familia and ask anyone. But we the people from Santa Familia know exactly the kind of scumbag she is, yes I pitty her children. Finally it was already time for the people of this village to stand up for their right and take off the mask from this principal!!!!!