P.U.P. Senator Karen Bodden explains the effects of budget cuts on education
Karen Bodden
The re-alignment of funds earmarked for secondary education has been the topic of discussion in the wake of the recent budget presentation for the current fiscal year. In the Senate, the issue of rationalizing resources within the education budget came up again. Opposition senator Karen Bodden, a career educator, delved into the impact that restructuring monies will have on the various high schools that will be affected, including Sadie Vernon High School where she is currently employed. According to Bodden, the subtraction of almost a quarter of a million dollars from that school’s budget will adversely affect the quality of education being afforded to its enrollment.
Karen Bodden, P.U.P. Senator
“Presented on pages 201 and 202 of the proposed estimates for the Ministry of Education for the fiscal year 2012/2013 are some interesting figures, albeit some of these monies, no doubt, have already been spent since the budget is a bit late. Nonetheless, Mr. President, the figures presented on these pages reflect some budgetary adjustments which to my mind raises some concern. Let me explain to what I make reference. Going back to the Gayle Report of 2009, he identified the south side of Belize City as having the most violent human ecology and yet as I peruse the figures Mr. President I could not [help] but notice that one of our government secondary schools primarily that is located in the heart of such violent ecology, making reference to Sadie Vernon Technical High School, was allocated less monies to fulfill its functions for this year. In the budget allocation for 2011/2012 the school received an allocation of one million, one hundred and fifty-nine thousand, six hundred and seventy-four dollars. In the estimates for the 2012/2013 budget the school is proposed to receive nine hundred and eleven thousand, two hundred and seventy dollars, a reduction of some two hundred and forty-eight [thousand], four hundred and four dollars. These figures Mr. President deserve more than just a cursory glance for various reasons. I have listened to the argument that was put forward about the new way of allocating funds to secondary schools. It has been described as, and I quote, “having the money follow the student”, end of quote. As nice as this may sound Mr. President, I cannot support that strategy in its entirety simply because the work of a school is much more than just the number of students it enrolls.”
It’s easier to steal from children’s piggy banks since they do not vote. And even easier when the children come from disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
Government really only has a very few legitimate things to do — provide national security, major infrastructure, basic universal EDUCATION, and MAYBE emergency medical treatment.
Until those things are all provided to the satisfaction of the nation, politicians should not address, seek, or invent any other place to spend tax money. We have way too many expensive and unnecessary programs that do not serve those core government functions, and they should be ended.
THE BUDGET to the consulate in BELGIUM and other foreign offices GETS A BIG BOOST and EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION gets CUT!!!! Explain!!!
Earl Grey is an ignoramus. The foreign offices solicit more aid to our country than what they spend. As to education, the families should expect to pay something for their child’s education. How can GOB support everything for bloody free when revenues are stagnant? Lets make sense out of nonsense man!
No Earl Gray is not! The budget for education is not spent on the children. It is used to pay salaries, traveling and subsistence, teacher replacement if a teacher cannot come to school, etc. The parents also pay registration fees, and a host of other costs to do fun raising to help the school run. When a school is short change, they have to charge the parents more. I have never heard of any aid given to government because of the our country because of the foreign offices. Besides, all aid are tied to donor country, and if we benefit from 1/3 of the money received, we are lucky, because just the advisors, who come along collect $300.00 thousand dollars salaries, free vehicle, gas, phone and even their groceries are sometimes sent from abroad. They also set up bogus offices in the donor county from which everything bought come at a humongous price. As an exmple, one computer costing three thousand bz dollars, could cost us fifteen thousand dollars. Despite the little we receive, the donor country have the nerve to say they gave us millions in aid when we truly didn’t get that!