Classes at one of Belize City's largest and most prominent high schools were disrupted today after teachers staged a mass "sick-out," where 80% of the school's teachers called in sick. It was to protest the Ministry of Education's decision to reinstate an expelled student. That left nearly 500 students in the care of the four teachers who showed up. It caused complete disruption and disarray on the school compound and our 7NEWS team was there to capture it. Keith Swift has the story from E.P. Yorke.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This is where we met Edward P. Yorke students this morning, in the yard; walking around, eating, and doing just about everything it seemed but learning. Security refused us entry and so that was the extent of our conversation but students later told me there were no teachers in class.
Student #1,
"We just stayed in class and talked, played games, studied a little bit with our friends and we studied together."
Keith Swift,
Where was your teacher?
Student #1,
"Our teacher was in our class but sometime she went to a next class because they had no other teacher, only bout five teachers came today."
Student #2,
"I don't really understand the situation. I went to class and sit down."
Keith Swift,
Was there ant teacher in your class?
Student #2,
"No."
It stayed that way until mid-day when parents arrived to pick up their kids for lunch. They found themselves locked out and looking in as the principal met with assembled students. Fidel Castro and Alfredo Santos were frustrated enough to talk to us.
Fidel Castro, Parent
"We are trying to find out what is going on with these children because this is the time they are supposed to go home."
Keith Swift,
What time you normally come for your child?
Fidel Castro,
"About 10 to 12 and now its after 12 and I don't know what's wrong, I just want to find out what happened."
Alfredo Santos, Parent
I came to pick up my daughter and I want to know what's going on. I noticed they are having a gathering there but we don't know what's going on."
And what was going on is that this morning E.P. Yorke teachers staged a mass sickout, all this because this fourth form student is back in school. His name is Karl Tulcey. He is 18 years old and in January the school board expelled him. That was back in January, and on Monday the Ministry of Education stepped in and ordered the school to reinstate Tulcey.
Allan Genitty,
"The Ministry, after reviewing the appeal made by the parent, looked at the record of the behavior of the child. A few of the offenses, well none of the offenses show that the child was a danger to the school or teachers or to that matter."
Allan Genitty is the Deputy Chief Education
Officer and coincidentally a former principal of E.P. Yorke. He was managing this morning's crisis along with his district education officer. He says there is precedent for what his office did. He points out that at least two of Tulcey's five suspensions were questionable. Genitty says Karl Tulcey's best interest was behind the decision.
Allan Genitty,
"Its not like the Ministry did not listen to their concerns, but in dealing with a situation like this whereby we don't see a student as being a threat to the school nor to the staff nor to the good name of this school or the good discipline, we felt that, we hope, that the teachers will return as quickly as possible. We do not see this young man as a prejudice to the good discipline and the Ministry is very very clear in regards to the reinstatement of this child.
The young man only has a couple more months left in school. If he should in anyway continue to disrupt the classes or break school rules, its very clear, the parents know clearly that we are giving him an opportunity for him to complete his education here."
The parents Genitty talks about are Charles Tulcey and Cynthia Vasquez who say their son is far from a saint but that's no excuse for him to be cheated out of his high school education.
Cynthia Vasquez, Karl's mother
"We just want him to finish fourth form and get his diploma. I mean we understand that he did wrong, we are not condoning what he did, but he only have four to five months more so he can finish his education."
Charles Tulcey, Karl's father
"We want him to finish so he can get his diploma. I feel that punishing a child just for that and he only has five months left, I feel that is a little harsh."
Harsh is one way to describe but Genitty says these teachers may, just may, have overreacted.
Allan Genitty,
"They are taking one person and then that affects the learning of five hundred others. I know they have legitimate concerns however maybe they should have thought about it in a different manner."
Keith Swift,
They overreacted?
Allan Genitty,
"They could have thought about it in a different manner. You put your word to it."
Keith Swift,
Will they face any consequences?
Allan Genitty,
"Right at this moment we need to get back to the business of educating children and therefore we hope that the teachers will get back to classes as quickly as possible and get back to the job of educating our children."
And that may have been the driving forces behind this letter all students were sent home with this afternoon. Classes will go on but will there be any teachers?
The school's principal Rodrick Cardenas told us this evening that none of the teachers who called in sick this morning returned this afternoon. He told us he is personally calling his teachers and requesting that they return to the classroom tomorrow. Cardenas wouldn't comment further but Frankie Rhys, a Teachers' Union activist who teaches at E.P. Yorke, told us this isn't about the Karl Tulcey case. He says the Chief Education Officer Maud Hyde was, "particularly rude" when she met with staff on Monday. He adds that the real concern here is that the Ministry of Education seems to be tearing down their system of transparent discipline. Because he's sick, as in "sick-out", Rhys couldn't talk to us on camera but says he hopes he'll be well enough to return to school tomorrow. As for Karl Tulcey, he is due to graduate later this year and plans to take six CXCs.
