B.N.T.U. takes on Minister’s “Incompetent Teacher” speech

Patrick Faber

While the current infrastructural projects forces motorists to take more time along the city streets, on Monday, the Belize National Teachers Union was driven to speak about the comments made by Minister of Education Patrick Faber. Deceitful and “Bafu” were only some of the words used to describe the Minister’s unfortunate comments made during an explanation of the dismal results of the Primary School Examination. The union also felt it necessary to say it didn’t hire teachers. B.N.T.U.’s National President, Luke Palacio, gave some kinder advice than the ones made by the minister. 

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“We have a union in this country—and I wah get into trouble again for it—that fights for teachers who are incompetent, some of them who are molesters, some of them who don’t do their jobs in the classroom and the union officials know it. But we fight for them. They are not functioning, they are not doing the best job, but the minute the principal or management or ministry who tries to bring them up, there is a champion called the union who fights against.”

Luke Palacio, National President, B.N.T.U.

Luke Palacio

“When you look at the issue he raised about the B.N.T.U. defending child molesters. Brothers and sisters we all know that that is a criminal offense in our country. And rule ninety-six at page one-thirty-four speaks to criminal proceedings. Once a report has been made to the police, neither the B.N.T.U., neither the teaching service commission can interfere with the work of the police. And we know that and we’ve said that to our teachers every step of the way. You commit a criminal offence and you are going to pay the price. And so we wanted to ensure the listening public and those of you present here today understand that B.N.T.U. nor the teaching service commission can interfere once criminal proceedings have begun. That becomes a matter for the courts and the courts will then deal with that matter. And what is also funny here, in the rules—the government in amending these rules—have said that they may help to pay teachers who are being criminally prosecuted. So if the teacher gets away because the ministry decided okay we are going to help pay you for your case. How yo blame the union? Where does that come from? So we need to bear those things in mind. In the second matter…the matter of defending unqualified teachers. My friends and brothers and sisters…again the point has been made, the union does not employ teachers, managements do. And in this country, we have church state managements and we have government managements because B.N.T.U. does not own schools. And so therefore if anybody is employing unqualified teachers that we end up defending in the words of the minister, they are the ones who employ the unqualified teachers.”