Belizean teachers will receive formal training in digital and inclusive education courtesy of the Organization of American States (OAS) as part of an initiative to modernize education in the country.
The OAS, Belize, and the non-governmental organization (NGO) Pathlight Belize signed an agreement to facilitate the training.
OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro said it is essential that teachers be well trained on the latest advances in education because “when teachers are well trained, students learn better.
“This day is a special occasion to recognize Pathlight for its efforts to help the government transform Belize by educating and developing future generations of leaders and offering teacher and after-school student training programs as turnkey solutions,” Almagro said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education in over 150 countries and affected 1.6 billion students. In response, many countries implemented some form of remote learning. As the pandemic has evolved, so too have education responses. Schools are now partially or fully open in many jurisdictions. Regardless of the learning modality and available technology, teachers play a critical role. Regular and effective pre-service and ongoing teacher professional development are key.
Prime Minister John Briceño said his government’s goal is for Belizean youth to have access to inclusive and quality education.
“Our government believes strongly in how a developing country invests in its youth and its children, and the best way to do that is to give them an education that is inclusive,” he said.
Director General of Pathlight Belize, Adele Catzim, said her organization is carrying out several initiatives to improve the quality of education in Belize, expressing enthusiasm for the agreement reached with the OAS.
“We are very pleased that through this framework, we are able to cooperate with the OAS to access the Teacher Exchange platform, which is important to us because it allows for the exchange of knowledge and ideas,” she said.
The OAS said Pathlight shares its vision of transforming countries through education and the development of future generations of leaders.
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