7 News Belize

The Strike Continues, Demonstration On Thursday
posted (October 4, 2016)
There was no school again today - and the way it looks right now, there won't be any tomorrow either! This evening, the Belize City Branch President, Kathleen Flowers, announced at the union's National Headquarters that not only will it continue tomorrow, but it extends to Thursday when there will be another nationwide Teachers Demonstration.

Here's what she said:

Kathleen Flowers, Belize City Branch Rep.
"Strike action continues."

Crowd Chanting

Kathleen Flowers, Belize City Branch Rep.
"We shall not be moved, despite what will come at us with that announcement, we will stand our ground. We are standing our ground until we get a feeling that we have a solid enough bakerup to come in, not just a feeling, but we know where the feeling will come from because we are working a process. When we get a solid enough feeling and an indication from those persons we are calling on, then we will say here is the baton, the relay continues. Because BNTU has move this stagnant ship from out the dock and its sailing up the bay on our captaining it. Gearing up for day 3. How many more days there will be? I can just tell you that on Thursday we are doing our mass countrywide demonstration. You people like demonstrate yeah."

"Tomorrow is world teacher's day. What a way to celebrate. We will be showing world and country that these teachers in Belize could stand up for what they believe in and so to do that we have some plans we will be sharing with you in a short while. But I want you all to learn this theme "valuing teachers, improving their status" that's world teachers day theme. And coincidentally it fits right in what we are doing. Like they were very clairvoyant."

But, as you would remember, today was the deadline for the Ministry of Education. They said that they would put their newly signed Statutory Instrument into effect tomorrow - allowing the Ministry to hire temporary teachers to fill in for the teachers on strike, so that the schools can remain open.

We asked the President about the effect of that, and if that in anyway weakens the resolve of the teachers:

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Does this undercut leverage you all have for the industrial action given that they would attempt to pad the teaching staff until you all return?"

Luke Palacio, National President - BNTU
"My brother they have said over and over, they've ask the parents to send their children to school. We have said to the parents we cannot force you to keep your children at home. But if you want that these people, that the minister in particular is trying to get into the classrooms to teach your children, then it is entirely up to you. We have our plan of action, we will keep our plan of action and we will go day by day to address the matters and how we respond to these things."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Had the teachers' addressed it directly? Is that any way a threat to them that persons are moved in to replace them while they are out on strike?"

Luke Palacio, National President - BNTU
"Our teachers have said if the minister believes, in fact they quote the rules, to say that the minister can make any rule, that he deems necessary, that he sees fit. If he sees that as being fit, our teachers know what we are standing up for. We are standing up for this country. We are not going to be easily intimidated and we believe that the Belizean people will see the nakedness and the attempt that this government continues to do to try and silence the Belizean people. We need to stand up against such things."

Reporter
"Are you aware if in fact there has been a meeting to come up with a curriculum for those same provisional teachers who will be put in the classrooms?"

Luke Palacio, National President - BNTU
"Well the name that they have here is emergency teachers. Because it's an SI that will employ teachers on emergency basis, so I don't know that they have any training - those persons that have been listed in SI - if it has already been signed. I don't know what kind of pedagogical training they have. I don't know what kind of teaching experience they have. But that is going to be left up entirely up to our parents if they want those types of individuals teaching their children."

We communicated with Education Minister Patrick Faber by text this evening, and he told us the application forms have been released for these temp teachers but said quote, "(we) will only bring it into effect as a last resort if all else fails to reason with teachers. It is my hope that we will not have to at all." End quote.

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