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The big Caribbean teacher family met today at the Biltmore. Discussions centered on educational issues and solutions as it relates to teacher training and the quality of education. A total of 19 member units from The Caribbean Union of Teachers were represented today. While each member unit had a specific report outlining their topics of educational interest, all Caribbean members approached the meeting with a common vision: to improve the educational system in their countries. President of the the BNTU, Luke Palacio described the importance of this meeting to education in Belize.

Luke Palacio - President, BNTU
"This CUT executive meeting, there will be some issue which I a certain the President, Mr. Andall will speak to. In terms of the education conference we are talking about issues which affect the Caribbean, for example we are going to have the Teaching Services Commission make a presentation because throughout the Caribbean there are efforts to establish either Teaching Services Commissions or Teaching Councils so it will also be a sharing and learning activity. We intend to talk about our Belize teacher education to see how teacher training and teacher education happens in the other regions. Definitely from the Caribbean they are interested in the matter of marijuana tourism. That's an issue they want us to look at. They are looking at the LGBT agenda. That's another issue that the Caribbean is grappling with and we in Belize as well. From Belize we will also be looking at the Occupational Safety and Health Bill because we know that that is a matter that our union still have issues that we need to clarify."

Doran Dixon, President, Jamaica Teachers Association
"There is the business of, just how other Caribbean nation we relate to the whole business of the free movement of teachers. We don't think it is working very well. The legislation exist, but it has to be implemented properly because if we are going to be a Caribbean, it's a Caribbean where we share."

Marvin Andall, President, CUT
"This coming together prevents us on many occasions from reinventing the wheel. We are learning from each other so that when situations arise we have background information, alternative solutions to problems that we face based on the collective experience that we would have gathered from our colleagues across the region."

The BNTU will also host an Education conference beginning on Monday December 1st under the theme "Embracing opportunities in Education and Defending Trade Unionism."