Today is teacher’s day and it was the biggest celebration ever.
That is because for the first time in the 25 years that it’s been celebrated
– there was one giant event in Belmopan where thousands of teachers from
across the country flooded the University of Belize’s Campus. The question
this year was if there was reason to celebrate. 7News was there and Keith Swift
went looking for an answer.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This morning it was a full house inside the UB gym with Prime Minister Dean
Barrow, his Minister of Education Patrick Faber, Leader of the Opposition John
Briceno along with thousands of teachers: those past and present – coming
from north to south – and teaching from kindergarten to university.
Jaime Panti, President of BNTU
“We belong to the world’s greatest profession. I am sure that
you will agree with me. We have been seen as the pillars of society over the 
years. It is a day in which we bring our profession to the forefront to celebrate,
congratulate, and recognize all those of us teachers who day in and day out
work tirelessly and silently to improve the lives of our children and our country.”
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
“Teachers are the pillars in this exercise of building an economically
strong, socially rich, intellectually searching, culturally proud and politically
just society.”
Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“I want to say happy Teacher’s Day to all of you who are teachers.
The work that you do is so very important and for this we are most grateful.
Happy Teacher’s Day to all of you.”
But the applause didn’t last long as Faber painted a picture of a woefully
inadequate educational system.
Hon. Patrick Faber,
“I have visited schools like Georgetown High School in the south where
children sit under a thatch roof structure with no walls for a classroom. I
have visited schools in Toledo where children come to school without shoes.
I have travelled to and from the villages on the very roads that students must
journey to attend school many many miles away from as early as two or three
a.m. in the mornings. I have seen overcrowded classrooms. I have seen children
whose meal for the day at school is one or two corn tortillas and salt. I have
visited villages where there are more than one schools, some right next to each
other under different managements but with very low enrolments. I have met teachers
whose only qualification is a high school certificate or an associate’s
degree in some other field other than education.”
Union President Jaime Panti challenged teachers to do more and Education Minister
Faber urged them to get trained – sooner rather than later.
Jaime Panti,
“There is a need to elevate our highest human values, that is where
we are failing. We need to elevate our human values as teachers and as a people.
There are some teachers who are bent on bringing this great profession to disrepute.
We cannot stand idly by and allow this to happen.”
Hon. Patrick Faber,
“The statistics indicate that only about 43% of our primary school 
teachers are trained to the associate’s in primary education level while
only 31% of our secondary school teachers are trained. We need to urgently address
this undersupply of trained teachers in our system. And to this end beginning
this summer, not beginning down the road anywhere, not beginning two years,
three years, four years, five years down the road. The problem that we have
in teacher training needs to be addressed immediately. And to this end, beginning
this summer the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the University of
Belize and other tertiary institutions will be implementing a certificate in
primary education program that will seek to equip with pedagogical skills some
eight hundred plus teachers who have Associate’s Degrees in fields other
than in education.
I want to strongly encourage you teachers who are eligible for a certificate
in primary education to take full advantage of this opportunity given for you
to become qualified. Failure to take advantage now could have consequences for
your licensing down the road.”
A dire warning that may have tempered the celebratory tones of the music and
dancing that accompanied this morning’s celebration. Reporting for 7News,
Keith Swift.
800 teachers will be trained during the summer and the Ministry of
Education will pick up the tab. Education Minister Patrick Faber also announced
that with an injection of $20 million from the CDB, the Development Finance
Corporation will resume granting students loans and teachers will be eligible.
And though he didn’t mention it in his speech, government will continue
giving the $300 subsidy for needy students entering high school and as a bonus
will also give the subsidy to students entering second form. Of the Ministry’s
$8.6 million budget for scholarships – half a million dollars will be
set aside for teacher training.
And back to teacher’s day - the morning was rounded out with
an award ceremony for outstanding teachers. That was followed by a fair and
a dinner is scheduled for tonight.
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