Today was day 12 and the end of the third consecutive week in which standard 5 Holy Redeemer student Ash-Lynne Young was not allowed In class because her mother refused to let her sell soft drinks during recess.
Ash-Lynne's story has sparked a national debate on morning talk and today in the newspapers. And while yesterday Chief Education Officer Maude Hyde told us there was nothing her ministry could do to get Ash-Lynne back in class, today Roman Catholic Bishop Dorick Wright confirmed to 7NEWS that on Monday he will meet with officials from the ministry. Bishop Wright told us that the case of Ash-Lynne will be high on the agenda at Monday's meeting.
Belize's Special Envoy for children Her Excellency Dolores Balderamos-Garcia also weighed in today expressing what she called "extreme concern" about the issue since according her, Ash-Lynne needs to be in school. Balderamos-Garcia says she will make a public statement on the issue on Monday.
And here at 7NEWS we are also getting a lot of input via email and you can click here for a sampling of those opinions. You can also still vote in our online poll.