Hundreds of students are at home today in San Pedro Town, as the Roman Catholic Primary School and the San Pedro High School officially called off classes due to the industrial action strike planned by the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU).
About 20 teachers from San Pedro Town and around five from Caye Caulker travelled to Belize City this morning, where they joined the thousands of other teachers in a protest against the Government of Belize (GOB). Some of the major demands from the group to GOB include good governance practices, transparency and an adjustment of 3% in their salaries, which according to them, has been delayed for too long.
The Union has garnered major support from social partners and concerned Belizeans countrywide. A meeting was held today, Monday, October 3rd in Belize at 1:30PM, where BNTU discussed with its members if the strike will continue for the rest of the week.
Parents in San Pedro Town are concerned about the situation and they hope that the Union and GOB reach an agreement as soon as possible. Meanwhile, island teachers stated that while they hate the fact that they have to be absent from classes, at times they need to stand up for their rights.
In an effort to keep tensions from escalating and to protect the students and staff that may show up to classes, the Belize Police Department has deployed police officers to schools countrywide. In San Pedro Town, the San Pedro Police Formation is on alert and has deployed officers to the educational institutions mentioned above in an effort to protect life, private property and prevent crime.
This is a developing story and we will continue to follow it.