Children and education in Belize

In Belize, the child are regarded as mini adults. From a young age children are able to just go and explore and in many ways begin looking out for themselves. I was fascinated with the amount of young child left unsupervised so often. I would look over and a 3 year old would be hanging out near the street with no parent in sight. Yet I don't believe it was neglect. The parents of Belize trust in their neighbors and community to look out for their children when they are not. They also don't worry so much about a kid getting hurt such as falling down. I think that in the States we are so worried about our children getting a scratch we restrict them from exploring life. Now I'm not saying I'm going to let a young child play outside without keeping a firm eye on them, but in this society that is okay. In the while time I was there, I never heard about a kids getting seriously hurt or kidnapped or any of the things we fear in the States. It was refreshing to see kids able to play without those fears.

Children are taught to work at a young age. Parents begin training their children the importance of money and the art of selling very early on. I was often suckered into bying something from a sweet 4 year old when on any other day i would have just walked past. In Belize, everyone works, including the kids. I was served by children at restaurants and sold jewelry at stands and on the street by kids of all ages. While some children seemed to work along side their parents when they weren't playing in the background, children as young as 8 would walk around the town selling jewelry and other tourist items by themselves. Many of the kids will never be able to get off the island, so these skills they are learning at a young age is what will support them in the future.

I viewed education as well as many other aspects of the Belizean culture including technology to be 20 years or so behind that of America. It has really only been recently that school has become such an important focus in America. As a first generation High School graduate, let along a college level one, I know first hand how education wasn't always what it is today here in the States. Growing up in the fifties and sixties, my dad dropped out at 11 to get a job to help support his familiy. My mom dropped out at 16 not seeing the importance of an education. Now it is almost impossible to become successful without an education and more and more doors are opened to help students achieve their goals.

If you feel you can support yourself at 16 just as well as you would at 18, would you continue school. Many students have no hope of higher education on the island, so as long as they have the minimum amount of education they feel they have no more use of school.

In Belize I feel they are working towards bettering their education, they just aren't there yet. Teachers are being required to have higher level learning to teach which would be great if they were given the opportunities to take these classes. Right now higher education is limited on the island. Steps are being taken for improvement in this area, but it will take years to make any real progess. The more qualified the teachers the better the education the children will receive.

The importance of education is also at a point of change and improvement. The need for a better education system has been realized, but as of now the improvements are only just beginning. Where our classrooms were 20-30 years ago is where many of these schools are. They still see teacher lead instruction as the best kind of instruction, fact based instruction over creativity and critical thinking, and little importance in electives. I feel one thing holding them back in many areas is the lack of supplies and technology. How can you have a music class without instruments? If all you know is workbooks, why would you use anything else?

A culture and society adapts to the roles that are available to them. As more opportunites become available I believe that education in Belize with improve. I also believe that as the importance of education becomes realized and the access to it becomes more available the children of Belize will be able to help grow the nation into a productive and prosperous country.