If you're not a teacher, you probably don't remember back to May of 2009 when a huge national celebration was held in Belmopan for all teachers countrywide. It was a first, a very major event to mark Teacher's Day, and thousands of teachers converged in the UB Gym in Belmopan. The plan was to have it again this year, but that plan has fallen apart, reportedly because of disagreements between the Ministry of Education and the Belize National teachers Union.
And this year, the breaking point was over money. Our reports are that the ministry had asked the Union to contribute thirty five thousand dollars to the event - which was budgeted for well over one hundred thousand dollars - most of it set aside for transport to bus in teachers from all over the country.
But, citing the large number of activities it has staged this year - including teacher rallies and its national convention a few weeks ago, the Teachers' UNION said it could only contribute ten thousand dollars.
The ministry rejected that because the event is supposed to be a partnership - and in 2009 - the Union put up twenty five thousand dollars towards a total budget of 115 thousand dollars.
With that impasse, the Ministry has decided to cancel the national event, and use its own funds to sponsor smaller events at the district level.
We are told that discussions about the docking of pay were held in the background of this failed negotiation. The union isn't happy that an as yet unknown number of teachers had their pay docked for taking a day off to rally in Belmopan on March fifth.
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