The University of Belize spends a huge amount of money in salaries and wages, as much as one point three million dollars every month. That staggering figure eats up seventy-five percent of its income. Government has effected a three-million-dollar cut in subvention leaving U.B. is a severe cash flow crisis. As the university navigates the […]
The situation at the University of Belize continues to deteriorate and is reaching boiling point. Tonight, U.B.’s Faculty and Staff Union is threatening industrial action if the University continues to exclude them in determining how U.B. will pull out of the financial crisis. Government has drastically cut the subvention, so UB finds itself unable to […]
The People’s United Party today chastised the Ministry of Education for cutting the subvention for the University of Belize. The P.U.P. says that the government’s decision to slash the university subvention by twenty-four point two percent from eleven million dollars to eight-point three-four million dollars is misguided. This, the P.U.P. says, will inevitably lead to […]
The People’s United Party is also condemning what it describes as the disrespect shown to the U.B. Faculty and Staff Union by the Board of Trustees and the Ministry of Education. Former Minister of Education, Francis Fonseca says that the union must be consulted and allowed to participate fully and meaningfully in all Board meetings […]
The national university is facing deep financial woes and things are in a state of flux. Today, President Clement Sankat of the University of Belize met with the university’s Board of Trustees as it relates to the university’s financial exigency. To cut costs, UB is proposing cuts in salaries and programmes which will end with […]
News Five is also in receipt of a letter dated July first from the Ministry of Education to President Sankat which is causing consternation to the Union. The letter speaks to the term of office of the faculty representative of the Board of Trustees stating that her appointment ended on February twenty-eighth, 2020. The letter, […]
Belizean American businessman, Roman Palma is gifting scholarships for tuition and uniform to ten high school students from around the country. The Roman Peace Scholarship Fund was created by Palma to assist those less fortunate to pursue their academic goals. Entries were sent to an email address and after they were vetted by two Belizean […]
The 2019/2020 school year officially closes on June thirtieth after three months that schools physically closed at the start of the lockdown. But CSEC preparations have been ongoing for the past two weeks for fourth form students across the country to prepare them for the exams. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Education announced that […]
Preparations are underway for students to return to the classrooms on August tenth within days of the reopening the Philip Goldson Airport. The Chief Education Officer says that there will be new norms as it relates to infrastructure at schools as well as the way classes are administered. First, the use of masks and sanitization […]
In addition, to providing homes for its member owners, the Holy Redeemer Credit Union is once again coming through with education grants to assist students on their academic journey. In recent weeks, a number of corporate citizens have stepped up to provide tuition scholarships for students. Last year, H.R.C.U. issued over four hundred thousand dollars […]
The reopening of the P.G.I.A. comes five days after the beginning of the new school year and there are concerns that with new arrivals in the country there may be a spike in the number of cases that move on to become community spread. Prime Minister Barrow says that if the date was to be […]
Parents of some three hundred and sixty students can breathe a sigh of relief tonight. That’s because, Westrac Limited is providing tuition for one academic year for students of two primary schools in Belize City. The schools are the Unity Presbyterian and the Queen Street Baptist. Families are hurting from the loss of jobs and […]
The Belize Teaching Service Commission has approved the suspension with half pay and demotion in rank of former Excelsior Principal Dawn Watters. Earlier this year, Watters was found guilty of misappropriating funds and theft at the high school. She has also been sanctioned for bringing the teaching profession into disrepute. News Five is in receipt […]
Fourth form students are preparing to sit the 2020 CSEC examinations. They have been away from school since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown and the exams had to be rescheduled to mid-July. Going back to the classrooms has a different feel; there is social distancing to practice and they have to wear masks as […]
Earlier we told that the NICH has started layoffs of staff, including long serving members. There are also tough times ahead for the national university and there are growing concerns that it may translate to a cut in staff and faculty. The university is said to be facing a projected loss in income of seven […]
But according to the University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union, they are seeking greater involvement in the process of mitigating the impact of COVID-19. In a response letter to President Sankat, the union says that it needs to be engaged as the sole collective bargaining agent for the three hundred and fifty plus faculty […]
But the UB Faculty and Staff Union is faced with another dilemma. Even as it has been in existence for twenty years and has represented its members, the union has not been able to receive its certificate, despite meeting all requirements. Back in January, it was set to receive its certification, but there was another […]
The coronavirus pandemic is changing education; from primary schools to universities, online learning is becoming the new norm. But the transition takes some getting used to for both students and instructors. Today, News Five’s Duane Moody set out the find out how the universities are handling virtual teaching. Duane Moody, Reporting COVID-19 has prompted a […]
While at the UWI, we caught up with Doctor Sharmayne Saunders, who has been elevated as the Head of the University of the West Indies, Open Campus in Belize City. She joined the university in 2008 and worked her way up the ranks to her latest appointment which assumed weeks ago. Saunders has an impressive […]
The Ministry of Education has tentatively set August tenth as the date when schools are expected to reopen. With the current school year coming to an end this month, Minister of Education Patrick Faber says that while date is earlier than previous years, it gives students and teachers an opportunity to catch up with their […]
President Elena Smith is also questioning the legality of the reopening of schools. Smith contends that the recently enacted statutory instrument does not specifically address to the reopening of schools. Senator Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U “There is the concern that our teachers and students returning to school on Monday would be contravening the […]
According to Elena Smith, given the present conditions and unanswered questions, the decision to return to the classroom will be left for the individual teacher. Smith says that teachers should request from their school’s administration what is being done to keep them and students safe. Senator Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U “From our view […]
Director of Health Services, Doctor Marvin Manzanero was asked for his expert opinion on the opening of schools. He says that while the world is experiencing a pandemic, education must continue. Today, he shared why he believes Belize should do it earlier than August. Here is how he explains it. Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director […]
The Ministry of Education is tightening its belt as it makes cuts across most of its programmes as schools prepare to reopen in August. The annual Professional and Technical Scholarships is getting cut by more than fifty percent. Minister Patrick Faber explained on Monday that it will now be extremely competitive for applicants and that […]
On Friday, we reported on the six students who are stuck in Guyana and appealing for the government to open the northern border to allow them back into the country. Those students had applied through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ online form to return on Saturday, but they were informed that the country wasn’t ready […]
