The fate of the 512 students attending the Holy Cross Anglican School in San Pedro hang in the balance tonight. That is because there has been talk that government wants to relocate the school. But relocating the school is only half of the story. The other is why government would want to move the school. Will it be to make space for development? Our 7NEWS team went to San Pedro yesterday to investigate and trust us – what you are about to see might shock you. Keith Swift has the story which was produced with assistance from our colleagues at the San Pedro Sun.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This is the San Pedro we know – a tourist paradise with an idyllic sea view, beautiful beaches, and cobblestone streets.
But this is the other side of San Pedro Town where instead of cobblestone streets students have to walk to school on London bridges and through small alleys like this one. Instead of the view of the sea, the only view for residents like this child – is the lagoon polluted with garbage and sewage waste. And instead
of fancy resorts, residents live in shacks.
And while with the London bridges, the flooded yards and the garbage this may look like soutbside Belize City, the north side – about a five minute drive from downtown and if you don’t believe, just ask the residents who are living here.
Marleni Calderon, San Mateo Resident
“It is very difficult situation, I have a little boat that I use to go through the water sometimes because sometimes the bridges are broken down and you have to get the kids from one spot to the other so it is an area that requires a lot of help, a lot of assistance, especially when it comes to the road construction; we need help.”
Leandro Moh, San Mateo Resident
“We have don’t streets, we don’t have nothing right here. We have to just walk where we could walk and we have the bridge and anytime a bridge breaks we have to immediately try to fix it because we have a lot of people back there and they are living right there.”
Keith Swift,
People won’t believe this is San Pedro.
Leandro Moh,
“Yeah I know that.”
And no one knows that reality more than Katarina Tun whose 4 year old daughter Zoila died from pneumonia in July. She believes the contaminated water little Zoila had to walk through everyday contributed to her sudden death.
Katarina Tun, San Mateo
“Only the Good Lord knows how my baby gone.”
Keith Swift,
What do you think killed your daughter?
Katarina Tun,
“I don’t know, they said she suffer with pneumonia, only that the doctor told me.”
Keith Swift,
You were telling me that when you lived elsewhere, your daughter was getting sick all the time.
Katarina Tun,
“She was never sick, she didn’t suffer with no illness. When she got this sickness, she gone forever.”
Martin Reyes is Katarina’s neighbours and he too has concerns about his health. He has the flu right now and he blames it on the contaminated water.
Martin Reyes, San Mateo Resident
“We have to cross them because of the high tide and everything and sometimes it is two of them so I take one and come back for the other one and you know on my way back I see many different kids attempting to cross with their school bags and tennis and thing and they don’t want to get wet so I just take them sometimes and push them on my bike and cross them. But most of the people they only talk and thing and they don’t come and visit the area or anything. That is why I am suffering a little flu and thing right now because all the time I am in the water and thing.”
And smack in the middle of all the garbage, and now a controversy, are the
512 students who attend Holy Cross Anglican Primary School. Government wants to relocate the school because of health concerns but Principal Grace Williams says that would do more harm than good.
Grace Williams, Principal
“The school is very important to all of them. Where would these children go? We don’t think they would relocate it. Where is big enough to relocate 512 students? And the RC School is already full, they can’t afford the other schools, they are too expensive, and we really don’t want children back on the streets.”
That is because most of these students are unprivileged. The education at Holy Cross is free and it includes breakfast and lunch for free for all 512 students, and yesterday – free dental services.
Grace Williams,
“There are a lot of people here who can’t afford schooling and out here it is very expensive. The private schools are very expensive and so what we offer here most of the people in this area need. It is very important to keep this school open. It is very important as an educational institution for these children, they really need the education.”
They need it - but after what we’ve seen - the question is if that education will be at the risk of their health. Reporting for 7NEWS from San Pedro, Keith Swift.
17 of the 22 students from Holy Cross who sat the Primary School Examination passed this year passed. That is why Minister of Education Patrick Faber says Holy Cross is one of the better schools in the country. He says there is a remote possibility it will be relocated but closing it down is completely of the question.
Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“Well it’s certainly not going to close. That has been what is rumoured but I can tell you that as far as the Ministry of Education is concerned and as far as my conversations have gone with the Minister of Tourism who is
also the Area Representative and also other Ministers in Cabinet, we certainly have no intention of closing down Holy Cross Anglican School.”
Keith Swift,
You said it won’t be closed down, what about the possibility of relocation?
Hon. Patrick Faber,
“Well I don’t that is a very strong possibility either. Any relocation will cost us some serious money. We have tried to explore avenues for relocation and what we’ve come up with are some very expensive options so because the Ministry of Education does not have that kind of money and the school certainly does not have that kind of money, what is to us now the better option is to try to make the developments to the school while the students are there which may mean we have to get a dredge to do the land filling that is necessary there but it has to go on while the students are in school.
I will tell you yes indeed I believe there are some other motives involved including the fact that the school is and has always been in the way, if you will, of developers who have been trying to develop condominiums in the area and that is a situation that is unfortunate but when it comes down to the question of a developer over our children or our educational system, you know where I will always stand, on the side of our children and on the side of providing a quality education for them.”
The school was started by two American missionaries. It opened in 2006 with only 60 students. Enrolment has soared to 511.
