In wartime they build bridges, airfields, and barracks in a matter of days. Here in peaceful Belize the U.S. military is using that expertise to construct schools. News Five’s Kendra Griffith today joined the top brass for a tour of the educational battlefield. Kendra Griffith, Reporting This morning Brigadier Generals, Lloyd Gillett, Commander of the […]
Teacher results caused controversy in February and prompted calls for a boycott, but tonight it appears that the 2007 Primary School Examination went off without a hitch. This afternoon News Five’s Kendra Griffith gauged the student reaction to the test. Kendra Griffith, Reporting According to the Examination Unit, six thousand, two hundred and eighty-six students […]
During the second annual Early Childhood Educators’ Award ceremony on Thursday night, nineteen teachers were honoured for their contribution to education. Recipients were chosen for their years of dedicated service as well as their efforts to develop and improve early childhood education programs. This year’s awardees include Wilfredo Alamilla of ABC Preschool, Gwendolyn Jones from […]
In related news, today the Ministry of Education issued a press release asserting that all the teachers who participated in last Friday’s protest in Belmopan will lose a day’s pay. The Ministry maintains, “While teachers…have the right to take a stand on any issue…such rights must not be done at the expense of our children’s […]
For many students, Math is a difficult subject, evidenced by poor grades countrywide. In an effort to change that reality, over the last four weeks the Social Security Board hosted the Math Olympiad, a student competition designed make math more user friendly. After winning the regional finals, this morning twelve students representing Julian Cho Technical […]
While teachers spearheaded today’s protests in Belmopan, what was happening in their classrooms? News Five’s Kendra Griffith checked out the schools in Belize City and found varying degrees of attendance. Clement Wade, Manager, Catholic Schools “The schools mostly affected were St. Ignatius and Holy Redeemer. But even in those cases, St. Ignatius had a fairly […]
On Saturday ten young men and women hope to raise at least two thousand dollars to support charitable causes and assist their scholarship programme at S.J.C. Junior College. The sixth form students are the contestants in this year’s Mr. and Ms. S.J.C. Pageant Explosion. According to pageant choreographer Xanthia Willacey, the event is not all […]
Before the latest controversy over teachers doing poorly on tests meant for their students, the major debate surrounding the P.S.E. was why so many standard six students were failing. And to address that problem, one group of educators has been working on a unique solution. Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting One goal of the Belize District Association […]
And while on the subject of improving P.S.E. scores, I asked Sanchez to comment on the issue of teachers being tested–and having the less-than-impressive results made public. Jacqueline Godwin “What do they see wrong in having the results publicised, the same way how the students’ results are publicised?” Delarai Sanchez “Listen, it’s a breakdown in […]
The minister, who also holds the portfolio for education, took the opportunity to soothe ruffled feathers in the teaching community. For the last two weeks Fonseca and education officials had been feeling the backlash from primary school teachers who feel they were “set-up” by being asked to take–and do poorly–on the P.S.E. Francis Fonseca, Minister […]
In academic jargon it is referred to as the art and science of mixology. We call it bartending…and as anyone who’s ever spent a full night serving drinks can tell you, it’s a demanding job that requires a full measure of physical and mental skills. Today one institution with mixology in its curriculum received a […]
At some point during the year, almost every school in the country uses a pageant as a fundraiser, but on Friday night one city institution is hosting such an event to send a message to the public. The organisers of Mr. and Ms. Anglican Cathedral College have partnered with the Women’s Department to take a […]
You may not recognise the name of the school but today it received the kind of support that is crucial to its survival … and that of its students. Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting If these young people were not here, it is likely that at some point they’d wind up in trouble with the law. And […]
Preschool education in Belize is growing so popular that one day soon they’ll decide to just drop the “pre.” But while some parents bemoan the expense and others see it as a low cost babysitting service, the experts believe that getting three and four year olds into the classroom is definitely a good thing. News […]
All of us who ever attended school can tell you about teachers who inspired us to learn … and those who, well, probably shouldn’t have ever entered the classroom. Today the Ministry of Education confirmed that assessment … and vowed to do something about it. Anthony Fuentes, President, B.N.T.U. “We can only achieve quality education […]
Awards come in all shapes and sizes, but the one announced today by the Belize Tourism Board is a hefty sum by any standard. Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting Eleven year old Josie Lee is the top junior winner in the 2007 Florida Caribbean Cruise Association Environmental Poster Competition held each year for the region’s students. Lee […]
Josie Lee was not the only Belizean to be awarded for an environmental cause. According to a press release from the Belize National Commission for UNESCO, Belmopan resident Venetia Briggs is the recipient of the UNESCO-L’OREAL Fellowship for Young Women in Life Sciences. The award is worth up to forty thousand U.S. dollars for a […]
In just a few months thousands of Belizean students will sit the Primary School Examination and administrators will be holding their breaths. Because when the results were announced in 2006, the national mean performance in math was only forty-five point seven percent, well below the sixty percent deemed satisfactory by the Ministry of Education. The […]
Every year, educational institutions hold open days to encourage creativity and boost school profile. Today the students and staff of Edward P. Yorke High School organised an event that was both informative and interesting. News Five’s Kendra Griffith reports. Karen Canto, Head of Science Dept., E.P. Yorke “We’re highlighting the students’ work over the past […]
It has often been said that the most important quality needed to compete in the global economy is an entrepreneurial spirit. And while Belizeans are no strangers to hustling for a living, most of us are not necessarily born with all the tools to create and sustain successful business ventures. That’s why one private sector […]
Everyday schools across the country have to find creative ways to raise money and stretch limited resources. Today, however, Calvary Temple Primary received a little ease in the form of twenty-five fans, books, Bristol boards, and other stationery courtesy of the Belize City Council and the Rotary Club. Georgett Barkley, Principal, Calvary Temple School “As […]
It’s six long years of complicated studies that even under the best conditions can only be described as difficult. But going to medical school in Cuba is still the best deal in town for dozens of aspiring Belizean doctors. This week twenty more are about to begin their professional journey. News Five’s Kendra Griffith reports. […]
Educational authorities have finally responded to an incident we reported last week in which a vice principal allegedly pulled a gun–later said to be a toy–on a pair of students. According to a release from the Ministry of Education, on Wednesday the school’s board of management and ministry representatives convened a hearing. The conclusion assigned […]
Belizeans are seeking university level education in record numbers … and with limited resources, local institutions of higher learning need all the help they can get. Fortunately, as News Five’s Kendra Griffith discovered, Belize is not without friends in high places. Kendra Griffith, Reporting Administrators from tertiary level institutions across Belize and the United States […]
And while tourism continues to lead Belize’s economy, the need for education and training is greater than ever. To that end the Caribbean Hotel Foundation, a subsidiary of the Caribbean Hotel Association, has announced the availability of scholarships for people already involved in the hospitality industry and those students seeking to pursue a tourism related […]
