Teacher Shortage Reported in Some Schools

There’s a shortage of teachers at some primary schools around the country, brought on by the resignation of educators before the opening of the new school year. We have received digital copies of advertisements posted for vacancies at two primary schools. There are three scenarios that we’ve learned about that are causing the situation – teachers face a delay in receiving the history of their Continuous Professional Development. Those in remote areas also leave when they find better jobs or more convenient areas to teach. Others simply leave for teaching jobs outside of Belize. News Five’s Marion Ali has a report on the issue.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

There is a shortage of schoolteachers in Belize’s education system and there are two main reasons why this is taking place. Herman Ramirez is a member of the national executive of the Catholic Primary Schools Principals Association.

 

Herman Ramirez, Member, Nat’l Exec.,Catholic Primary School Principals Assn

“We had two teachers that in the last minute they sent out, you know, information that they’re actually requesting to be released, requesting to be transferred, requesting to resign, and that sort of thing. And normally this would happen, especially in the rural areas, where you have teachers commuting to teach.”

 

Ramirez is also the principal of our Lady of Lourdes RC School in Maskall Village. He says that there are now three vacancies for teachers, two have resigned and the third is on long leave. President of the Belize National Teachers Union, Nadia Caliz tells News Five that teachers are opting for better-paying jobs elsewhere.

 

Nadia Caliz, President, BNTU

“At the secondary level, we do have a shortage when it comes to skill set. Many of the teachers don’t have the necessary content and pedagogy in the area. So, it’s hard for, for the ministry or for schools to pull these vacancies unless MOE changes its criteria. That’s for the secondary.  For the primary now, the issue has to do with the fact that not only primary but secondary as well too. We have different countries who have different teacher programs. The salaries are attractive, and our teachers have decided that they want to explore those options.”

 

According to Caliz, teachers have also been leaving to take up jobs at call centers. For those who wish to remain in the profession, however, she lays blame on the Ministry of Education.

 

Nadia Caliz

“Every teacher needs to meet 120 continuous professional development hours. They must meet that. That’s a requirement for a license renewal.  Some of the teachers have met that, but they have a issue is that they cannot get the certificate.  The document that says you have 120 CPD hours, they apply to the Teacher Learning Institute, the TLI, and they are still waiting to get that. Without that, you are not going to be given a new license.”

 

Marion Ali

“That comes from where?”

 

Nadia Caliz

“That comes from the Ministry of Education.”

 

Marion Ali

“Is it an issue where teachers wait until the last minute to get this accreditation and then they find that they’re caught up in a bottleneck situation?”

 

Nadia Caliz

“There are a few teachers like that and they’re not the majority. And I don’t want for the impression to be given that majority of teachers are like that.”

 

Caliz shared a scenario where a teacher who underwent brain surgery and who was unable to complete her required number of accredited hours was denied her teachers license. She has reportedly requested an audience with Minister of Education, Francis Fonseca to discuss the problems that teachers are faced with. Meanwhile, Ramirez tells us that they have met with education officials and are waiting for the matter to be resolved.  But with classes resuming on Monday, Our Lady of Lourdes, like others that have a shortage of teachers will have to carry on the best way they could.

Herman Ramirez

“We have spoken to our staff and we have said we’re going to try and reach out again, send out the advertisement to try and see if we can secure some teachers to fill the post. But in the meantime, we teachers will have to share classrooms and we will have to see what we can do to make sure that we can operate, have the children in class and have school operating as normal.”

 

Marion Ali for News Five.