Relevance of COVID-19 Pandemic Across the Education Sector in Belize

Relevance of COVID-19 Pandemic Across the Education Sector in Belize 1

Ashley Rhaburn, Odessa Solis, Shamera Gillett, Roman Carrillo, Rochelle Cox, Joanna Motejo

University of Belize

Public Administration and Policy

Submitted to: Mr. Dylan Williams

June 11th, 2020

Relevance of COVID-19 Pandemic Across the Education Sector in Belize 2

Table of Contents

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Discussion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4

Document sector specific policy impact (was there a change to the Law (SI) or policy related

to any health sector service …………………………………………………………………………………………… 4

Document sector specific administrative impact (How was administrative arrangements

changed by internal and external policy changes) ……………………………………………………………. 6

Document sector specific investment or resources including donations/support (What and how

much resources were mobilize to response to the sector specific impact) ……………………………. 8

Provide policy/administrative recommendations for improvement (provide recommendation

for managing for effectiveness (were the action conducted the right interventions?) and

efficiency (were the actions conducted introduced in a timely manner and were the resources

expended in a timely manner) ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 9

Recommendations …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13

Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13

References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14

Relevance of COVID-19 Pandemic Across the Education Sector in Belize 3

Relevance of COVID-19 Pandemic Across the Education Sector in Belize

Introduction

“Belmopan. March 23, 2020. The Ministry of Health announces the first confirmed case of

COVID-19 in Belize. The patient is a 38-year-old female, Belizean national who resides in San

Pedro.” (Mohpro, 2020). These words changed everything for our country. Though, for one

moment we all felt invincible, I’m sure. We all felt untouchable. However, that was not the

case. The COVID-19 crisis swept through Belize like a hurricane leaving us to pick up the

pieces as it affects both private and public sectors, specifically the education sector. This

pandemic has caused “1.53 billion learners out of school and 184 country-wide school closures,

impacting 87.6% of the world’s total enrolled learners. Drop-out rates across the globe are likely

to rise as a result of this massive disruption to education access.” As a result of the state of

emergency this forced the government to think critically as to what alternatives are possible to

keep the community safe as well as learning continuity. Many were forced to turn to distance

learning, of which seemed to be working great. However, everything has its challenges some of

which may have included:

1. Some students did not have access to the internet, electronic devices.

2. Teachers may not have been trained to work remotely

3. Group work may have been stressful to do.

4. Psychological problems for those who were not able to afford continuing online due to

lack of proper technology

5. Lack of money to make payments.

In addition, during these times, it shows how well our leaders utilize their decision making skill

to do what is best for the country. Since then the government has made investments in the

education sector. Furthermore, as the government continues to make changes to policies, it is

important to understand the reasons why. Understand that it is for our own good as citizens of

Belize. Thus, this report will help us understand how the educational sector has been affected by

COVID-19.

Relevance of COVID-19 Pandemic Across the Education Sector in Belize 4

Discussion

Document sector specific policy impact (was there a change to the Law (SI) or policy

related to any health sector service

The current educational system in Belize has been significantly impacted by the

emergence of Covid-19. There has been a paradigm shift in the way the Government of Belize

has been approaching the state of the school system, particularly in its adaptability and

malleability of the Statutory Instrument iterations it has been making. Currently, the education

sector of the country is at a standstill, with schools closed and yearly, standardized examinations

like the Primary School Examinations (PSE) suspended. The current policy dictates that all

schools remain closed until further notice, particularly while the State of Emergency is ongoing

(Government of Belize, 2020). The implementation of this policy acted as a catalyst for school

managements and the Ministry of Education to spring into action and implement educational

sessions by way of web 2.0 services such as Google Classroom, Blackboard and Canvas. This

shift in policy has been acting as panacea for what can only be described as critical losses to the