The uneasy air in the city today escalated when most public, primary and secondary schools closed. It all started this morning when president of the Belize City branch of the Teacher's Union Elena Smith called an emergency meeting for 9 am. It created a bit of chaos because by the time the announcement was on the radio most children were at school and their parents were already at work. That sent some very uncertain parents scrambling to pick up their kids. We met some of them at Holy Redeemer School.
Question: What happened?
Parent #1: I have to take him home because I understand there's no more classes until further notice. That's what they told me. They don't know what's happening until...just keep on the radio until we find out when we'll have classes again.
Parent #2: They just tell us to come and pick up your kids. That's all. They didn't say why. They just said come and pick up your kids.
Parent #3: I just heard over the radio that they're calling on teachers, the Belize Branch of the BNTU, is calling on teachers to attend a meeting so I'm just safeguarding my kids.
Question: Would you support another teacher's strike?
Parent #3: What I would support is the cause for whatever they feel. They have that right to do that and if it comes to the point that they are out there to do that, then my right is to make sure my kids are secure.
Parent #4: I supported them the first time but I don't know if this is going to be worth it, if they will get the sense or not.
Parent #5: I don't want to comment on that but if its going to make the situation better then we're just going to have to do what we got to do.
Parent #1: I will support it once they have a plan of action because I think you saw what happened yesterday when you plan things without any goals in mind, things get out of hand.
The situation was much the same at Gwen Lizarraga High where teachers did leave to go to the meeting but the students weren't allowed to leave, at least not until they were picked up by a parent or approved guardian. It caused for tense moments at the school as students claimed they were being held prisoners. The students told us why they were upset.
Student #1: The teachers they had a meeting upstairs and they just let everybody out. They just called our parents to come for us and they sent us home.
Student #2: We want to go home but our parents, according to them, have to be here for us to leave the gate and we see primary school children leaving without any parent. We don't know what the situation is right now. We don't know what is happening. It is just crazy.
We have received no reports of school closures in the districts. In the city though the teachers left their classes and headed to the BNTU office where they held a strategy meeting. Belize City Branch President Elena Smith commented on the reason for the meeting. But first here is Prime Minister Said Musa's comment today on her decision.
Said Musa,
"This morning one union leader in particular from the Belize Branch of the BNTU has been going from school to school, the President of the Belize City Branch in fact, intimidating teachers trying to get them to send home their students. And she is doing this on her own without any mandate from the BNTU, not that they could give a mandate for that because that is an illegal process going on, trespassing on these compounds intimidating students and teachers and that has to stop."
Elena Smith, President BNTU Belize City
"We haven't made any decision yet as just a city branch. But Mr. Fuentes and Mr. Frazer will give you the overall view of BNTU's position. As President I won't say anything about BNTU on a whole. Whatever we are doing right now was mandated by Mr. Fuentes. He gave permission to do what we are doing today. Despite what was said this morning during a press conference that I am the one doing this, this is not so. This is coming from Mr. Fuentes."
Yesterday the National Teacher's Union tried to hold a Council of Management meeting to decide on a plan of action. That never happened because with only 5 branches present there wasn't a quorum. National President Anthony Fuentes was absent from today's meeting.
In related news there were classes today at the University of Belize and St. John's Junior College. This morning SJC's administration refused to grant the student government representatives a platform to address fellow students concerning yesterday's protest and what resulted. Over at UB outspoken student body President Moses Sulph was not on campus and his colleagues said he was in "hiding."7NEWS has confirmed that police are seeking him. We have also learnt that Moses is not really hiding. Rather he is in a "safe place" and will turn himself in to police with his attorney soon. The two student governments issued a joint release this evening distancing themselves from last night's looting. They said they are being intimidated from all sides and that yesterday's protest was not politically motivated.
