Today the Queen's Room at the Princess was full to overflowing as all the teachers form the Belize district were invited to a meeting with the Minister of Education, Patrick Faber.
It's part of a nationwide tour of schools. Minister of Education Faber says it's an opportunity to consult with all stakeholders in the country who have a vested interest in the development of education in our schools. He said the Town Hall style meetings give the Ministry a chance to get useful feedback from those who participate in the meetings.
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"We started off having the meetings only for teachers, principals and managing authorities but since this year we have decided to open it for general public so that stakeholders in general - the business community, parents or anybody who has a stake and that is everybody in our view to come out and share in what it is we are doing in education and also to give their suggestions as to how we can improve."
Jim McFadzean
"Now one of the issues no doubt that probably will come up at the forefront is the discussion still on corporal punishment? You had appointed a task force to look into alternative, disciplinary measures, where is the task force in achieving that goal?"
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"Well if you remember, Jim, in January we had a press conference at which point we presented the report of the task force and we indicated the way forward with that. We will be getting into that issue this afternoon as well just because it's an information sharing session. We want everybody to be on the same page. Everybody to understand where is it that we are going. We intend to sign the statutory instrument that makes corporal punishment illegal in education week which is the first week of May and for it to become effective in the classroom then at the start of the new school year."
Jim McFadzean
"Even while you are about to sign this statutory instrument outlawing corporal punishment in the schools, your task force, your department has not come up with any defined alternative yet to corporal punishment?"
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"Yes we have, the task force has completed its work. They presented the report back to the ministry of education. We had a press conference where we shared what those outcomes were from the task force and in addition what the ministry itself would be recommending and that is exactly some of the meat of our meeting this afternoon."
Jim McFadzean
"The task force issued recommendations but there's been no defined guidelines yet for the alternative for corporal punishment."
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"Yes there is but if you remember what I've always said and this is pretty much what the task force is backing up that this alternative as people would want us to frame it is training for teachers; putting in school discipline plans is anther recommendation that came. These things you may not see outrightly but schools will understand that their task is now to put these things into place."
Jim McFadzean
"Pretty much you are putting the onus on the individual schools to manage and to set their own guidelines as to how they deal with the alternative to corporal punishment."
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"In terms of school discipline plans, yes."
In terms of the venue - Today's meeting was a letdown - as very many teachers had to be turned back because the room was over capacity.
Since the Town Hall style meetings got its start, Faber has held meetings in each of the seven districts, at least once every year.
