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Jules Vasquez reporting
While children looked on in bemusement the chants were resounding: "Pech Must Go "and what made the difference today was that teachers were on the picket line - chanting and carrying signs against their own principal.

At break time - it was more than idle distraction for these kids caught in the middle of a war between adults.

Police not teachers had to tell the kids to get back to class - a chaotic atmosphere - hardly conducive to learning. How can school go on with all this noise outside - being generated by persons with vested interests - parents and teachers.

It's the culmination of the madness that has been visited upon this school like a plague

Joan Pineda, Support Staff - 9 years
"I have not abandoned my post. We are on break right now and I am here in solidarity with the parents. We have been going through this for so many years and we are so tired and it seems like the Teachers Service Commission, the Ministry of Education, none of them can come here and try to solve this problem. Our children have been out of school for so many weeks and like nobody cares. So I don't know what they are going to do, but they have to do something about this. When they are ready they can go to Belmopan and passed a law in one day. Why can't they come here and address our problem that we are having here at Faith Nazarene?"

Desiree Armstrong, Standard 5 - 3 years at school
"When parents and teachers lose confidence in administration, the whole head does not function well. So I am here to let Ministry of Education, Teaching Service Commission, Hon. Patrick Faber and if it has to reach all the way up to the Hon. Dean Barrow, come to Cayo."

Joan Pineda, Support Staff - 9 years
"They are forcing us to work with her. They cannot do that to us. They have to come and hear our concerns. They have to come here. We have been victimized, we have been shout at, we have been - so many things that have been done to us, we have been treated like children. Why are we going to stand back and take this abused? I don't think we have to do that no more. We need a change. We need to get back our school. That is what we are fighting for. We need respect from her. Not because she is my boss I am going to allow her to do what she wants with me. No way."

Jules Vasquez
"Are you and the principal having any kind of talking relationship?"

Joan Pineda, Support Staff - 9 years
"Well I work in there. She speaks to me and I answer and that's it. It is very hard. You don't understand. That is the reason why I was out sick yesterday, because I cannot take it anymore. I am being forced to work with her, nobody have to go through that."

Jules Vasquez
"What you are talking about is what we called a toxic environment. Is it toxic?"

Joan Pineda, Support Staff - 9 years
"It is toxic, very toxic. The Ministry, Teachers Service Commission - if they cannot come and solve this problem, then they need to dissolve that organization, because they are not standing up for us as teachers."

Jules Vasquez
"How do you manage working relationship with someone when you apparently have no confidence in them and feel they have to go?"

Desiree Armstrong, Standard 5 - 3 years at school
"The only relationship I have with Ms. Policarpia Pech is good morning, good afternoon and good evening. There is nothing else to say about the relationship I have with her. She does not attend our devotion. She does not participate in parent/teachers meeting. She does not participate in any planning the staff has. The weight of the burden is left on Mr. Humes, the Vice Principal."

This is Vice Principal Shelan Humes - we interviewed him through the fence:

Shelan Humes, Vice Principal- Faith Nazarene
"I am here to give my undivided and unwavering support to a principal that can lead the school. I have done that for three years and I will continue to do so for any principal that comes. If the general sentiment of the parents and the teachers are for her removal, then I will have to support that, because we can no longer continue to work under this condition. I will support a principal that will step up and do what is right by the school."

Jules Vasquez
"So then what the working relationship right now between you and Ms. Pech?"

Shelan Humes, Vice Principal- Faith Nazarene
"Well even that is breaking down a little bit. To the point where there has been finger pointing and blaming. I try to act as a mediator between the principal and the staff, but even that is not functioning anymore. The confidence of the staff and the parents and principal has broken down to the point where they have little to no trust to whatever she does in the school."

Jules Vasquez
"You support these parents who are taking their stand out here?"

Shelan Humes, Vice Principal- Faith Nazarene
"They have every right to do so. Every single parents that have a kid in this school and understands exactly how it has operated would be out here any day to voice out their concerns. They want the best for the school. They are not crazy."

They're not crazy - but they sure are committed - many of them have kept their kids home for weeks. And today they staged their second full protest:

Jules Vasquez
"Ma'am, is your child in school right now?"

Maria Castillo, Parent
"Yes. My child is in school. She is in standard 6 and what I am worrying about is PSE is next year and my child is 3 weeks out of school. You know what is 3 weeks to put back that 3 weeks?"

Jules Vasquez
"Ultimately though, you made that decision."

Maria Castillo, Parent
"Yes I did make that decision, because we expect that we will have a change and it doesn't happen."

Jules Vasquez
"Is your child in school?"

Fernando Cruz, Parent
"No. my child is not in school, because I am actually taking the initiative like most parents to school home at home for the time right now."

Jules Vasquez
"Might it not be that you are interpret it that you are punishing your child for a dispute between adults?"

Fernando Cruz, Parent
"When my child is or any persons' child get punished in this school, nobody sees it as an issue. The ministry doesn't come and ask the parents whose child have been in this classroom? You know you child shouldn't be abused - because I meeting him home, I am abusing him? No, I am fighting for a betterment of education for him."

Jules Vasquez
"Ma'am are we making children suffer because of a dispute with adults?"

Maria Castillo, Parent
"That is what she should think before she does this, because this is not just happening from now. This is not just happening 3 weeks ago. This was happening before. The ministry had enough time to deal with this situation. Why do they have to wait until when school opens to do this to the children?"

Jules Vasquez
"But Ma'am, you did it too."

Maria Castillo, Parent
"Of course, because I am here to support."

David Simpson, Tour Guide
"It is our duty to send our kids to school. By law yes we agree, but if an institution is unhealthy then I do not see the need for my kid to come to that institution."

Maria Castillo, Parent
"What is the ministry thinking? They think that just take out your child from her and take the child to another school - because a space is there, they have already called them and tell and they say yes they have a space for your child? They don't even care. They don't even comes here. They don't even put a foot at that step."

David Simpson, Tour Guide
"Then there should be some more interest from the Minister to come and look into this situation. I don't see the reason why he is stuck in Belmopan and can't even drive over to San Ignacio."

Jules Vasquez
"At the end of the day, the minister is not God. He can't come here and say Ms. Pech go home, because then Ms. Pech will sue everybody. So I don't know what's that solution. The fact is Ms. Pech cannot just be unilaterally moved and just say be gone. That's not how it works."

David Simpson, Tour Guide
"Well we agree to that, but he should come and hear the concerns of the parents and then he will know the procedures to go by."

Jules Vasquez
"An explanation still won't satisfy them, because the only explanation they want is Ms. Pech haul."

David Simpson, Tour Guide
"Well they will know exactly what will be the procedures to follow next."

But, patience is wearing thin for all involved - and today the protest line had only 11 parents:

Jules Vasquez
"Is it that people are starting to say it's not worth it?"

Maria Castillo, Parent
"No, it's not that. There are lots of parents that are working and they can't support. But they support us by not sending their kids. We still have their support."

Jules Vasquez
"But then they are supporting you by not sending their kids, but then that's hurting those children."

Maria Castillo, Parent
"Exactly. But who caused it?"

Jules Vasquez
"Well we could argue about that, because I could say that you all are causing it. It's the parents who have them at home are causing it."

Maria Castillo, Parent
"No?"

Jules Vasquez
"It seems to me that an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, you better find a way to work around that immovable object. Ms. Pech right now is an immovable object."

Maria Castillo, Parent
"Why? Is that a solution?"

David Simpson, Tour Guide
"I am telling you right now, we are getting legal advice today and this thing will change, t will change, believe me."

Jules Vasquez
"How will it changed sir? You still hope that you all can eject Ms. Pech? The Ministry has given up. The management has given up. The Teaching Service Commission has given up."

Fernando Cruz, Parent
"The Ministry has washed his hands and left it in the hands of the commission. The Ministry has never been involved in that sense. The Ministry gave the Commission the say. They have washed their hands. Now we will take the game to them."

Cruz told us he will send his child to school on Monday. We saw a little more than a handful of teachers protesting when they got their break.