Some schools will close, missing teachers will be docked
Also remaining closed, it appears, will be many of the nation’s schools, as the union representing Belize’s teachers has decided to go ahead with its plans to protest. Will the rank and file respond?
Clement Wade, General Manager, Catholic Schools
“They will look at whether what they are doing is worth making the sacrifice and it is that kind of call, it is a judgement call on their behalf and I think they are responsible enough to make that judgement call.”
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
According to the General Secretary of the Belize National Teachers Union, George Frazer, despite the Prime Minister’s decision to withdraw the U.H.S. loan motion from Friday’s sitting in Belmopan, they will still proceed with their planned rally and protest. According to Frazer, there are still pressing matters of concern.
Clement Wade
“We depend very heavily on our principals. Our principals are the important people in our organisation and they will make a call, they will do a poll among our teachers. If they realise that more than half of their teachers are going, then they will realise that to have school would not be sensible because the teachers available won’t be able to take care of the children that will be coming to school.”
Carol Babb, General Manager, Anglican Schools
“Certainly if more than half of the teachers are going to participate in the demonstration, there will not be sufficient teachers to supervise the children who come to school tomorrow.”
Around three-thirty this evening when classes finished, the students were each given a note that states that “Due to the civil disturbances happening in our country, many of our teachers will be going to Belmopan to take part in the demonstration there. We are therefore asking parents to keep their children home to ensure their safety.”
Clement Wade
“Whenever you have children out it affects them one way or the other. However, again that’s a teacher’s call; they will look at whether what they are doing is worth making the sacrifice. And it’s that kind of call, it is a judgement call on their behalf and I think they are responsible enough to make that judgement call. I won’t say yea or nay. My thing is, I always want children in school, I never want children to be out of school, but I do realise too that the union has the right to protest whenever they see something that is big enough that will affect the country.”
Carol Babb
“I don’t think that one day will disrupt third term because the teachers can do make-up. They can start classes maybe half and hour earlier in the morning, begin at eight and then probably end at four o’clock, because whenever we have a one-day workshop or some kind of activity going on, we try to make it up by starting early and finishing later.”
The Ministry of Education has responded to the action taken by teachers and has stated that Friday is no holiday and are advising the general managers of all schools to make a note of those teachers who are absent, with an eye to docking their pay.
According to the B.N.T.U.’s Executive Secretary George Frazer, after consultation with their social partners they agreed to go ahead with the rally and demonstration in Belmopan because of a number of issues of concern. According to Frazer, one matter involves the compensation for all public officers’ increments that were frozen from July 2005 to June 2006. Frazer says despite numerous requests to meet with the Prime Minister, he has yet to respond. He says another matter surrounds the proposed B.T.L. Vesting bill presented in the House last Friday. According to Frazer, they are concerned about how this legislation would affect union members because the B.N.T.U. and P.S.U. are custodians of some five hundred and sixty-six thousand shares in B.T.L.
