Earlier this week, we told you about a fight that broke out involving students from St John's College. That, coupled with recent break-ins of other primary schools, has led concerned residents to suggest heavier police presence at different campuses in the city. However, the Minister of Education says he doesn't believe schools should be under guard, and instead, they will have to look at other ways to ensure the safety of students and staff.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture
"We do work closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Belize Police Department. In some schools, there are challenges, and obviously we need to work more closely with the police but I certainly don't want to see schools become areas where we have under heavy police guard, that should not be the case, so we have to find I think creative ways of ensuring that schools are secure, that our students and teachers are safe when they're at school, and we have to do that so I think it's more than likely we'll have to strengthen our truancy department, the school warden system will have to be upgraded, updated, but we will continue to work with the Belize Police Department because safety and security is a critical issue and I know we've had a few incidents recently you know of violence in the schools so in cases where that takes place then we call in the police but I certainly, like I said, I don't want to go in the direction to have overwhelming police presence on any school campus."
