A closer look at Escuela Secondaria Tecnica México
It started with a small enrollment but over the years, Escuela Secondaria Tecnica Mexico has become one of the top high schools in the north. The school is an Independence Day gift to Belize by the government of Mexico and is one of the more tangible benefits in the relationship with the northern neighbor. The school’s anniversary celebrations took place today and faculty, students and friends from Mexico were in a festive mood. News Five’s Delahnie Bain joined in the activities.
Delahnie Bain, Reporting
An all day celebration was held today at Escuela Secondaria Tecnica Mexico for its twenty-eighth birthday. Principal, Carlos Castillo, says the school has developed significantly over the years.
Carlos Castillo, Principal
carlos castillo
“What we have achieved significantly is the increase in enrollment. We started with fifty students and now we have almost six hundred. We have developed more programs in the vocational and technical fields. We did very well in the CSEC examinations, we did very well in the Festival of Arts, we are involved in all the sports. Right now we’re building a cafeteria because the one we have, we have outgrown it. We can’t really deal with our customers in a nice way and a convenient way because it’s not spacious. So we’re building that there. It’s going to cost us ninety grand. We’ve already raised sixty grand and the other thirty grand will be coming from labor being donated and from the parents and students.”
The day’s agenda was packed with activities starting from early this morning, including entertainment from both Belize and Mexico, the crowning of the first ever Mr. ESTM, the release of celebration balloons and even fireworks.
Carlos Castillo
“We started from six o’clock this morning from Corozal Town. We had a torch run with some of the students and they walked from Corozal to the school. Right after this we have the exhibition under those tents where students will be displaying what they have done in arts and craft in ornamental plants, souvenirs and food. This will be followed by sports this afternoon from one to three, volleyball and football; male and female.”
It was also an important day for the Mexican government, which was represented today by Cultural Attaché, Domingo Rodriguez. He says the donation of the school in 1981 was the start of the cooperation between our two countries.
Domingo Rodriguez
Domingo Rodriguez, Cultural Attaché, Mexican Embassy
“This school was a present of Mexico for the Independence of this country of Belize and everyday this school is progressing, it’s more bigger, with more projects and the government and the Embassy of Mexico work together with the authorities of the school always. We support them in many kinds of ways; building new rooms, with interchanging of teachers who go on visitation to Mexico, with scholarships for the people to study here.”
And while the students will only spend a few years at Escuela Mexico, they too were proud to mark its anniversary.
Ingrid Chu, Student, Escuela Secondaria Tecnica Mexico
ingrid chu
“We have a lot of fun activities that we do and a lot of stuff happens every day and we have clubs and its fun. It’s my first year also.”
Travis Bardalez
Travis Bardalez, Student, Escuela Secondaria Tecnica Mexico
“Being a part of the twenty-eighth anniversary is actually a privilege because we get to be here and experience all the different talents that students have, they produce here at ESTM because you know ESTM is the best in Corozal right.”
Suzannie Martin, Student, Escuela Secondaria Tecnica Mexico
Suzannie Martin
“I think it was wonderful because we recited a poem and I hope that all the people, the students, the invited guests I hope that they enjoyed it.”
The birthday bash continues with tonight with a dance at the school grounds. Delahnie Bain for News Five.
If you’ve travelled north, you would have recognized the school. It’s located in San Roman Village.
Is this school only for latinos? Where are the Creole youths. We as Creole Belizeans have to start looking out for ourselves. We can,t let this sort of thing keep happening,or else we will get left in our own country. Mark my word.
Stanley Wright: I see what you’re saying but I think that the population of the North is predominantly of Latino demography. So I don’t think we should see this purely as racial divide.
What the Creole and other minority groups need to start doing is taking education very seriously, and I know that this is already the case with most parents in Belize. There is no limitation to what our children can do, only we put on the limits. For example, if I thought that the school was particularly outstanding in its achievements, there is no reasons why I wouldn’t think of moving north to get my children in the school and give them a better chance.
For years and years the children of the North travelled on the buses to Belize City to receive a secondary school education. It’s not uncommon to have children of secondary school ages travelling from Sandhill, Maskall, Burrell Boom, and further afield to get an education as there were no secondary school in their areas.
I am not familiar with this school records however as a parent these are the things we should seek out. In any case there are a handful of schools in the city with perhaps similar or better performing records and its up to parents to investigate these schools to find the very best for our children.
The most wonderful gift you can give your child is the very best education available and it may involve a lot of sacrifices to do so but its the one that will determine their future.
Wright- it is all about demographics my friend. There are more Latinos in the North. It would be like me repeating your comment about Belize City or Southern coast of Belize.
Also do not rely on the news video clip. It only gives you a small piece of the whole picture. They are very talented Creole, Garifuna and Mayan students that participated in this show.
Stanley: Seriously??? For your information Escuela Mexico is located in the village ofSan Roman in the Corozal District village. If you know your geography you should be aware that mostly Latinos populate the northern districts and newsflash Stanley, Latinos are part of the country of Belize. Please get your facts straight before you make those type of comments. Of course there are Creole Youths attending Escuela Mexico however Latinos are the majority because of the demographics.
Please don’t make this a racist issue. And yes we do need to “let this sort of things keep happening” because this high school started out quite small and is now one of the best high schools in the northern part of Belize!!!! I think you will agree with me that we need better education for our children?
Thanks Radical Belizean.
Stanley; John Briceno went to SJC which is away from his home in Orange Walk which back in his day was common. When I attended secondary school in Belize, we had students that came from as far away as PG who had to live with relatives & family friends. As a parent, if I have the option to have my child attend a great school that is close enough for him or her to come home at the end of the school day, if I had to stay up at night to help him/her study to get into the school of my choice, I would do it.
There was a time when we offered scholarships to academically gifted primary school students & those children were coveted by all the High Schools, regardless of color. Having a great school in this area can only help our country, we need productive people regardless of color. By the way, as far as those Mexican scholarship, I believe Bertie Chimilio was a recipient many years ago, he not only went to school in the city, he can pass for nothing but black. I meant Dr Chimilio if there is more than one.
this is a great school and i am proud to say i am a graduate of this wonderful institution. it a vocational school. the best there is thanks ESTM
It is common at border towns to have cultural influences from both countries; you can see it at the U.S.-Mexico border area. One of the reazons Mexican students are enrolled in american schools is that they learn another language, higher tecnology and in the future they hope to have more options of work in either of each country. I ignore if the high school in Corozal has a significant foreign population.
In my point of view, one thing to take care in practicing intercultural academics, is that the national values are not overided, but instead, with the purpose of complement the student thinking, the teaching and the search programs of borders schools should be aimed at the respect of different styles of living as to produce the dialogue in order to introduce solutions to any difference that may arise through the process.
To all thanks for sharing, I’m a worker at ESTM and our institution is a cultural school and is 1 of our bigest asset, I learn from creole students, they learn from me a latino(spanish) person! Its great to share our culture, its the max being at ESTM
My highschool… As the Class of 2014, I am honored to have been part of this event…And now 6 years into the future, I have the skills and attitudes that ESTM built in me… Indeed, this has helped me to keep striving in my terciary education… Be BACK in Belize in 4 years.