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Toledo's Educators Voice Their Needs
Education statistics published by the United Nations and Government of Belize paint a grim picture of the Toledo region, where nearly 56 percent of the population is indigent. Though 90 percent of all young Belizean children are in primary school, only 44 percent of Belizean teenagers are in secondary school. The numbers are worse in Toledo, especially for girls whose attendance lags far behind boys in high school. Children with limited education are destined to repeat the cycle of poverty and dependency that plagues Toledo.
Toledo's teachers try hard to provide sound education in their overcrowded classrooms, but they struggle with little training and few supplies. Over 50 percent of Toledo's teachers have not had any schooling or training beyond high school. The educators of Toledo know that they face many obstacles. But what exactly do they see as their greatest weaknesses and needs? Over the last few years, we conducted informal surveys with the workshop participants.
What are the greatest weaknesses or your greatest concerns about the education system in Toledo?
In 1998, we asked 36 teachers to answer this question. The majority (21) listed the lack of supplies, especially books, as their greatest obstacle. Their second greatest concern revolved around space and overcrowding issues, including the lack of adequate school infrastructure. Their third most prominent concern was their own lack of knowledge of teaching methods. Other top answers included language and culture barriers between teachers and students, as well as the lack of parental and community support.
If you had a large amount of money to improve education in Toledo, what would you do with it?
We asked this question of 66 educators in 1999. Again, the urgent need for school supplies topped the list, with 50 teachers commenting that they would buy supplies ranging from pencils to books to manual typewriters to computers. Several also want to hold more training workshops like the ones we organize each August. Still others focused on the need to improve school infrastructure, including expanding the number of classrooms, electrifying schools, and installing bathrooms. And quite a few would like to set up a fund for children who can't afford to buy any books or supplies. Many mentioned that they would focus their efforts on Toledo's most remote schools, which are the poorest of the poor in a desperately poor region.
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