San Pablo Village is at the border of Orange Walk and Corozal Districts. Like most villages it’s usually quiet, but the volume got pumped up just a little yesterday when a group of over a dozen angry parents went to the school demanding answers. The teacher for the standard two class has been absent for over a week and since school started their kids have been busy doing nothing. And where’s maestro? Well that’s what makes it interesting. With help from our colleagues at Northern Cable Network in Orange walk, we have this story.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
If the students in standard two at San Pablo Community School seem idle or at best busy doing nothing they are because they haven’t got a teacher. There’s work on the blackboard but no one in the classroom. In Spanish cameraman Fortunato Noble asks:
The teacher isn’t in the classroom? Who is supposed to be teaching you?
Teacher Juchim but he did not come.
How long has it been since teacher Juchim does not come?
A week.
One week and that’s too long for these parents who are fed up with teacher Florentino Juchim who is on special leave until February 6th the day after election because he’s busy doing political work. But while he campaigns, the classroom is empty and yesterday concerned parents swarmed the school to force some kind of solution after a wasted week.
“A teacher is doing really bad here. It has been a week since he’s not come to classes. I have a son here and he is not doing anything. What we want is that a responsible teacher comes. If the teacher wants to campaign he has from four until coming out of school he can do what he wants, that’s his problem, but what we want is a reponsible teacher. I think he should be responsible because he has two classes here. He should be responsible for the school. And if the education department doesn’t do anything we will not leave until something is done.”
“The children here don’t have a teacher for a week. If that teacher knew he wanted to be politician he should have taken that as a career and not put the children back. He already knows how to read he could care less if the children don’t learn. Last week he was giving out flyers and pictures of his candidate. I don’t care he can do what he wants but don’t become a teacher so he can take any day he wants to be sticking up pictures. He can even go and eat with them. What hurts us is that he is keeping the children back.”
“It was reported that he was sick but if he was really sick, he should be in his bed in the hospital or in the operate theatre or wherever he is sick but he is not sick and the thing is we are not involving politics here. What we are fighting for is for the well being of the children. I have a daughter he or she is in standard two and teacher Juchim has two classes and for a week he has not come to this schookl. What we want is for him to be responsible that if he does not come send someone else. There are rumors that he is out campaigning. If he is getting paid to go and campaign he can’t be doing two things at the same time. What the people are asking is that someone take his place so that the studies of the children can continue. Right now the children are abandoned and neglected. They are only playing in class and are not learning anything.”
And that much can’t be argued. The parents watched into classroom as their children horsed around. Eventually the education officer came and police were dispatched. And while the big guns may have been a bit much it did get a little heated as the district education officer tried to hold a meeting with the principal as parents waited and watched from outside. Eventually the scrutiny became too much and the administrators moved to close the door which the parents did not like.
[Video Footage of Confrontation]
And while the adults deliberated, the children continued to enjoy one more day off – lollipops and all. At the end of the meeting it was decided that the principal would become the teacher. This gentleman whose also a teacher and a parent explained.
“What has been decided is that the principal will be replacement for that class. She will be in that class now everyday teaching the children. She has all the rights to stay and to care of the children for the rest of the time that the other teacher is not here because he has been granted special leave from the Ministry of Education up until the eight of February.”
That’s a strong no vote against this teacher but with all the time off his students sure don’t have anything bad to say about their forgotten teacher.
As agreed, the principal will hold over for the class until Maestro’s special leave is finished – which is after the election.
