Even for those of us who live near the sea, its sometimes easy to forget just how vital our marine resources are. This week–no matter where we live–we are all being reminded that the coastal zone of Belize is crucial to our future. Jacqueline Woods reports. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting The opening of a research library […]
The Ministry of Education today released the results of the Primary School Examination. And while some of the numbers are upbeat, they are not painting the kind of picture of primary school performance that educators were hoping for. According to a preliminary assessment done by the Examinations Unit, the national average this year in mathematics […]
While educators mull over the results of the P.S.E. to see how they can improve student performance, one person who has no complaints about his grade is Micah Munoz. The thirteen-year-old Saint Ignatius Primary School student topped this year’s P.S.E., beating out thousands of his peers to take the Jane and Michael Nembhard Award. Munoz […]
In the age of instant computerized communication, it is often overlooked, but the seemingly lost art of spelling is very much alive and well in Belize…as I discovered this morning at the City Centre. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting Numismatic, which is spelt N-U-M-I-S-M-A-T-I-C was not the only difficult word the students had to spell. The finals […]
The relocation of a number of major components of the University of Belize from Belize City to Belmopan will have to wait a few months longer. In a release issued today the Ministry of Education and U.B.’s board have announced that the move, originally set for the beginning of the academic year in August, has […]
It seems like only yesterday that the Belize City Centre for Employment Training on St. Thomas Street first opened its doors. But the nation’s premier vocational training institution has been teaching valuable skills for over a decade. Yesterday News 5’s Jacqueline Woods stopped in for an update. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting Once a year the staff […]
A month ago News 5 covered the upheaval at Belmopan Comprehensive School, where eight students had been suspended…and charges flew regarding lax discipline and incompetence on the part of teachers, students and administrators. Tonight we can report that at least a measure of calm has returned to the campus. The eight students have been expelled […]
While some of Belize’s primary school students where showing off their creativity at Parish Hall, thousands of their colleagues were feeling the heat of the most important exam of their young careers. Although it’s gone through a number of name changes, the Primary School Exam is still the benchmark for scholastic achievement. Today I looked […]
Their school possesses a long and proud literary tradition, and the current students of St. John’s Junior College are not quite ready to see it die. That’s why some activists at S.J.C. are re-launching a publication of poems, essays, short stories and plays, all created by students. Metamorphosis 2003 is the title of the new […]
In a country with an abundance of environmental attractions, Belize’s coastline, cayes and reefs may constitute our most important national resource. That’s why authorities are taking no chances…by getting their out conservation message to the young. Patrick Jones, Reporting The captive audience at Saint John Vianney Primary School was focussed on learning about the protection […]
It has been a persistent theme for Said Musa, dating back to long before he took over the leadership of the People’s United Party. It’s the issue of literacy, and today in an interview courtesy of the Government Press Office, the Prime Minister once again committed himself to helping more Belizeans learn to read and […]
Almost a decade old and still gaining strength, the annual Coca Cola Spelling Bee is in the process of selecting its district champions. Today the big show stopped off in Belize City where I joined the competition in progress. Pronouncer “These words are worth ten points each and you have twenty seconds. Take your time […]
In the not-too-distant past, it enjoyed a reputation as one of the nation’s premier high schools. Today, Belmopan Comprehensive is embroiled in a controversy that has students, teachers and administrators locked in combat, both verbal and physical. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods is just back from Belmopan with the following report. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting It was […]
It’s a cliché, it’s a song, but goodness knows it’s true: our children are the future. And in the world of education, preschool is the environment where little girls and boys learn the basics of life. But as many teachers can attest to, often time resources are limited. This issue was just one that was […]
They may only be three and four years old, but in the world of art, their work might very well be on par with much more experienced professionals. So with great pride this morning, principals from preschools around the city presented their students’ work at the annual Arts and Crafts Festival. And while the event […]
As any parent or teacher can testify, getting students fired up about learning can be a challenge; even when that learning involves creatures as fascinating as manatees. But in its efforts to promote manatee awareness, the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute made sure the odds swung in their favour, by adding a little fun. […]
It’s a long way from the cool carpeted confines of the law library in Belize City, but the latest addition to the nation’s educational infrastructure–opened this weekend in Crooked Tree–is no less important. On Sunday that historic village inaugurated a new library. The building is well stocked with a variety of books as well as […]
Farming in Belize has never been more diversified…and as new products come on stream, so do opportunities for a successful career in agriculture. Today the University of Belize campus at Central farm held an open day and as News 5’s Janelle Chanona discovered, in 2003 down on the farm has never been better. Janelle Chanona, […]
Belize’s youngest children were at it again today as the preschool unit competes with the political process for the nation’s attention. Today the focus was on those preschool age children who are on the outside looking in. Jacqueline Woods has more. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting None of the two hundred children gathered here attend preschool. And […]
For many Belizeans, it is their first contact with formal education. All the more reason then that preschool education needs to get off on the right foot. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods took to the streets this morning where Belize City’s pre-schoolers were on the move. Dativa Martinez, Coordinator, Preschool Parade “It seem to me that […]
The project got off to a late start, but in the last few weeks before elections the Intelco computers in schools initiative is making up for lost time. On Tuesday students in the Cayo and Stann Creek Districts heard the words “Dude, you’re gettin a Dell,” as another one hundred and forty-four computers were turned […]
A private university in the Cayo District? That’s right, this afternoon during brief ceremonies at Central Farm off the Western Highway, ambitious plans for Galen University were unveiled. Founders of the institution say the idea has been in the works for years and if everything goes right, classes should start this September. According to one […]
The administration, staff and students of Bethel Assembly Primary are counting their blessings tonight after government announced its decision to repair the school in the wake of last week’s fire. A press release issued today indicated that the Ministry of Education has presented a grant for almost nineteen thousand dollars to Reverend Lloyd Wright, the […]
For all those beleaguered Belizean computer users still waiting for their dial up connection to connect, tonight there is one more reason to be jealous. The students of San Luis Rey Primary School in San Antonio, Toledo, today inaugurated their high speed satellite internet service. In ceremonies held this morning, Prime Minister Said Musa opened […]
Standardized tests are not necessarily the best indicators of future accomplishment but they do enable us to make at least some kind of comparison between students across wide geographic areas. Today the area of focus was the English speaking Caribbean and, at least this time around, Belize looked very good. For the second time in […]
