Minister urges support for education
As an opposition member of the House of Representatives, Patrick Faber was known for his outspoken opinions and occasional brushes with authority. Since February’s election the rebel from Collet has become the nation’s Minister of Education … and as News Five’s Kendra Griffith reports, he’s still speaking his mind.
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“There is a widely held view that education cures all ills in the society, that somehow if we get education right that we would rid ourselves of all other social problems.”
Kendra Griffith, Reporting
At ceremonies this morning, Minister of Education Patrick Faber officially opened Education Week under the theme “Education: our key to social justice and a safe, healthy environment.”
Patrick Faber
“Keys do not open doors by themselves. Keys must be supported, they must be positioned, they must be turned by someone possessing that key in order that that lock be opened. Education is our key and it is up to us to support, position and turn this key to open the door to social justice and a safe and healthy environment.”
In attaining that goal of social justice and a healthy environment, the Ministry of Education first has to deal with issues such as a lack of parental support in schools and our less than impressive national exam scores.
Jaime Panti, President, Belize National Teacher’s Union
“When I stop and I think about the challenges that we face, I can only come to one conclusion and that is all stakeholders in education must unite to bring about the current changes that we need in this country.”
But according to President of the Belize National Teacher’s Union, Jaime Panti, two of our biggest problems are the lack of trained teachers and principals.
Jaime Panti
“Teacher training has to do with one, how many teachers you accept within the system, how many teachers leave the education system once they are trained and also it’s recruitment, how many teachers have the passion. Some of them only use teaching as a stepping stone and later you see they leave the profession. So it’s a cycle that we need to break. The principals are the ones who actually execute whatever education within their schools, so when there isn’t that leadership within an institution, you see what I call a phenomenon of interpersonal relationships going sour within the institutions and that hampers education within institutions.”
And while leadership may be lacking, the topic which will be discussed in a two-day forum this week is “Making Education Work for Boys.”
Patrick Faber
“I think it is evident to every person in our society that while we have problems in general in society, these problems seem to be affecting our young men more so than they are our young women. All the statistics—those that I shared earlier in my speech for instance—show that boys are at a greater risk in terms of receiving an education than the females. And while we are not being gender-biased here, we have to address that situation.”
Today also saw the commissioning of the new National Council for Education.
David Leacock, C.E.O., Ministry of Education
“These are a group of people who have agreed to give of their time and effort for the betterment of education in Belize so that we all may benefit. They truly embody that sense of community and solidarity with others.”
The fourteen-member body is made up of educators and will advise the minister on education matters.
And while the country’s top educators won’t be recognised until October, this morning an award was given to Sunny Side Bakery owner Zebedee Pitterson for his humanitarian efforts. Pitterson, however, could not be at the ceremony to collect the first Spirit of Ubuntu Award as he was busy preparing food for the school children he feeds three times per week. Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.
Faber announced several future initiatives including inspecting schools for quality assurance, a three hundred dollar subsidy for needy first and second formers, and a national feeding programme.
