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A Historical Perspective
By: Alexander J. Bennet
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Introduction
Belize’s educational system originated with the
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Chapter 1
The Establishment of Formal Education
John Armstrong
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The reading and writing of the
George Arthur was a man who
English Language and
evidently possessed a certain Arithmetic were to be taught in
the schools and English,
degree of compassion for the George Grammar and Geography were
slaves and for the labouring Arthur to be taught in a manner
population at large. presented by the Board Rules
The 1892 ordinance laid down the conditions under grants-in-aid were given.
These are as follows:
No child was to receive any religious instruction to which the parent or guardian of
such a child objected, or to be present when such instruction was given at the
school.
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The Board of Education Rules
The Board of Education Rules were completed in 1894. They were drawn up to
complement the 1892 Education Ordinance. The following were some of the salient
features of these features: -
1. The whole work of the administration of schools was placed in the hands of
the Inspector of the schools.
2. All grants were paid were paid by the inspector’s department after they had
been approved by the Board of Education.
3. All correspondence between the Board and the school manager was carried
on through the Inspector of schools.
4. The inspector was to visit all grant-aided schools for the purpose of inspection
and examination.
Secondary education was not introduced in Belize until during the last two decades of
the nineteenth century.
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Chapter 2 Colonial Education Policy Making (1900-1930)
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The main provisions of part I were as follows:
1. The Board of Education was comprised of the Governor as President, the
members of the Executive Council and not more than 5 members appointed by
the Governor.
2. The duty of the Board was to utilize monies voted by the Legislative Council for
educational purposes.
3. The Board was empowered to make rules for regulating the allowances of grant-in-
aid to assisted schools, the examination and certification of teachers, and the duties
Education Officers appointed under the Ordinance.
4. Out-district Boards of Education could be appointed by the Governor.
5. The duty of the District Board of Education was to visit assisted schools within the
limits of their districts and report on them, and to advice the Board of Education on
applications for establishing schools in their districts.
6. Assistance should be given to schools in respect only of children 5 to 16 years of age.
Part II of the Ordinance contains the following provisions:
1. The Governor, with the consent of the Board, was empowered to declare any area
to be a compulsory area of school attendance and to decide whether the ages of
attendance within the area shall be from six to twelve or from six to fourteen.
2. It made it the duty of every parent of a child residing within a compulsory
attendance area to send a child to school or to provide the child with private
instruction as efficient as that obtainable at a school within such an area.
3. School officers were empowered to enforce a fine of 5 cents for every absence of
a child from school without reasonable cause.
4. Parents who neglected to pay the fines levied by the school Officers were liable to
be summoned before a magistrate who could impose an additional fine not
exceeding two dollars.
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Chapter 3 Overhauling the System (1930-1940)
By 1930 British Honduras had begun to feel the effects of the world
depression.
In 1931 the population was 51,347 with 21,661 living in the Belize District.
The most sparely populated district was the Toledo District.
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School attendance was compulsory for children between the ages of six and twelve years or
between six and fourteen.
the grant-in-aid
could be claimed for The total length of
children between schooling possible
five and sixteen for a child was
years eleven years.
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Chapter 4 British Aid to Education in Belize (1940-1954)
BH Easter Policies
Focuses on the primary school age students on the basis of the church-state partnership.
1944 – grants approved ( rehabilitation of schools, textbook, stationaries and a summer course for
teachers.) after the hurricane in 1942.
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The Evans Commission
In 1947 this commission advocated for the establishment of full time training of
teachers.
It also advocated for the Development plan of 1949 for 1950 to 1955
The plan was to provide a one year course to be followed by two three- month periods
of follow up training.
The scheme was subsequently developed into a plan for a two year training college
course, followed by a probationary year leading to a local teachers diploma.
On December 18, 1953 Reverend M.M. O’ Connor, General Manager of R.C primary
schools informed the board that the Catholic authorities wished to have their own
training centre for their teachers.
In June, 1954 the two training colleges were inaugurated, one for government and one
for Catholic.
On December 16, 1954 the policy with regard to recognition of the training colleges
was debated.
General principles for the recognition of both colleges are as follow:
Staff should possess approved academic and professional qualification.
The principal at least should have a degree from a recognized university and a
recognized teacher’s diploma or certificate.
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Secondary Education
(Methodist), St.
In 1947 five
St. John’s College Catherine
recognized (Roman Catholic),
St. Michael’s Academy (Roman
secondary schools
College Catholic) and St.
were in operation. (Anglican),
Hilda’s College
Wesley College
(Anglican)
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Technical High School
A Technical high school was opened in 1952
The plan was to offer a three year course which would be include instruction in wood
working and engineering for boys.
Provide domestic science instruction for the girls who completed primary course.
In 1954 the original conception of technical High School had been undergoing a
change and Harlow recommendation was carried.
The course being designed to follow a three year curriculum with girls being
excluded.
Admission to the school was based on competitive examination and interview.
The fee charged was $51 per annum.
Government assisted with bursaries for students from out districts.
No pupil who qualifies for admission is excluded because of inability on the part of
the parent or guardian to pay the full fee
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University of the West Indies
The legislative
Originated with the
Council at the time
Irvine Report of
passed a resolution
1945 with the
that a West Indian
recommendation to
University should be
set up a university in
established. The
the commonwealth
resolution was
Caribbean.
To Develop a West debated and passed.
Indian outlook, to
create a pool of
leadership
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A nationalist Chapter 5: The Decolonization of Education (1954-1980)
movement had
emerged in the
1940’s, giving Objective of the government’s seven year Development plan
rise to the
development of
The Governor,
party politics
and to Belize was using his reserve
constitutional experiencing
hard times since power in the
change
the 1930’s and Legislative
those conditions Council brought
worsened in
1949 about the
devaluation of
the Belize dollar
against the
Philip Goldson,
Britishaspound
a member for social services, became
responsible for education
sterling.
The educational policy continued to follow the colonial
pattern that had been evolving since the 19th century
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UNESCO Mission’s Report of 1964
B.H. Easter had proposed a central institute and his proposal was re-iterated by
subsequent visiting experts, resulting in the proposal for a “practical” secondary school
which was realized with the opening of the Belize Technical High School.
In early 1960’s the UNESCO Educational planning Mission included a place for junior
secondary schools within its proposed re-structure for the educational system.
The two junior secondary schools are both Government owned and provided an academic
course/subjects: English, Mathematics, General Science and Social Studies.
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Important Dates
1965- Two independently run training colleges were amalgamated to form the Belize
Teachers
1966- Intermediate Training Centre also merge the amalgamated teachers college.
1969 – The first junior secondary school was opened in Belize City.
1972- Belize Junior Secondary School No. 2 was built and the stage was set for others
to be constructed in the other districts.
1979- pre-school unit was set up and some assistance began to be given to pre-school
centres in the form of training by the Pre-school Unit
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Chapter 6 The Quality of Education: The last Two Decades
The next
The UNESCO To the preparation UNESCO
Educational of the Seven Year
Planning Mission, Mission of 1983
Development Plan
which visited proposed a similar
(1964-1970),
Belize in 1964
recommendation.
R.S. Peters advises that quality in education can be considered in terms of “product”
Stated that education implies that something worthwhile is being or has been intentionally
transmitted in a morally acceptable manner.
The acquisition
of skills of
In Belize the
thinking
proposition has
been put involves
forward that understanding
education
should enable and reasoning.
the young to These two
think and grow
concepts,
in self-identity
as Belizeans. understanding
and reasoning,
must
The quotation from ministerial statements inthemselves
the early 1990’s
be some ten years
after Belize’s independence, suggests very clearly
clearlythat the aims of education
understood
should be related to societal as well as personal needs. by
teachers.
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In the last two decades of the twentieth century it was understood that improvements in the
quality of education required more than a mere material expansion
That economic decline had its genesis in the fuel crisis of the mild 1970’s
which impacted our light manufacturing industries.
Besides, the prices of our sugar and citrus had fallen.
Such developments affected employment negatively and consequently our
standard of living.
The Government alone expended 5% of the G.D.P. On education and in terms
of its annual budget the allocation was 21% in 1983, which exceeded the
percentage allocated in1973 by 7.8%
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Primary Education of an improved Quality Pre-School
Education
During the seventh and eight decades of the century there was a sharp increase of interest
and activity in pre-school education
In 1979 the Preschool Unit was established by the Ministry of Education Officer
(preschool) was appointed.
By 1983, preschool enrolment was about 1900 children in centres staffed by some 112
pre-school teachers.
Of the pre-school centers 7 were operated by Government, 15 by community boards and
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According to
the distribution, 5 child stimulation centres
In the 1989/90 school year
the numbers catering to the learning needs
pre-school centres were able
were as of children 3 years old and
to enroll 2,695 children in
follows: under.in 1991/92 there were
the 3 and 4 year old groups;
81 pre-school centres with
153 teachers served in theses
173 teachers in them.
pre-school centres
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In 1990 the Pre-school Unite began awarding certificates to pre-school
teachers who were successful in completing two six-week basic training
programs. They were:
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Primary Education
Between 1973 to 1983 government and gov aided primary schools increased
from 164 schools with a total enrollment of 30,060 in 1974, to 207 schools with
a total enrolment of 37,158 in 1983.
The management s of the schools in 1983, there were 121 under Roman
Catholic management, 24, Anglican schools, 21 Methodist schools.
The remaining schools were shared by other religious denominations:1 for each
of 7 management, 2 for each of 3 other managements, and 5 under the Seventh
Day Adventist Management.
Not all were fully grant-aided from the Government that was 1977 was Zion
Methodist Protestant School; however, that school became grant-aided
During the early part of the decade of the 80’s, new school were built with the
assistance of USAID and the Caribbean Development Bank. These includes:
School District
Biscayne Government School Belize
Douglas Government School Orange Walk
Trinidad Government School Orange Walk
San Pedro Colombia School Toledo
Stella Maris School Belize
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Special Education
Two intuitions for
The year 1981
was designated as Belize had few There were disabled children
the International services for services in the were in Belize
Year for Disabled disabled children. public domain for
Besides, there was disabled persons City
Persons (IYPD).
a scarcity of in the public
service, Stella Maris
information about
the number of specifically in the
Ministries of Lynne School,
persons with
disabilities. Health, Education which was
and Social
specifically
Services
established for
mentally disabled
children.
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School Buildings
Existing primary schools were taking their pupils through the eight years curriculum of primary
education. Rural school were small. Urban school were overcrowded. Few students did not
complete the eight years of schooling.
UNESCO Mission recognized the need for school construction and observed that school
amalgamation rationalization would improve the physical condition of the school.
Government of Belize was aware of the need to improve school facilities but had no staff within
the Ministry of Education to share the responsibility to build more school buildings.
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Introduction of BNSE (Belize National Selection Examination)
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Chapter 7: The Education Policy Environment
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Abbreviations
UB University of Belize
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History and Development
of Education in Belize
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