From: ?Jennifer Williams? [email protected]
Mon. July 12, 2004
Dear Editor,
I am a schoolteacher in Los Angeles, California for twelve years, but I have been acquainted with the school system for a long time. I must say that it?s very different teaching in the U.S. from in Belize. I say this for many reasons. Primarily, the restrictions of corporal punishment. I believe that that is part of the demise of the school system.
I am familiar with the private and public schools to a great degree, and over the years I have heard on a consistent basis from teachers of Belizean students that they are generally advanced and more mannerly than their peers. Of course, there?s always the exception to the rule in anything. So, on this note, Belizean teachers, continue the hard, underpaid, overworked and seldom appreciated job of teaching well.
I have observed that many times when a Belizean student comes here for the first time, that he/she seems shocked at the level of disrespect and other negative behaviour that the teachers have to endure. If that child is not properly grounded, then you know the outcome – birds of a feather flock together. A lot of people who don?t know much about Belize just automatically assume that because it?s labeled ?Third World?, that you don?t know how to speak properly.
People used to tell me all the time that you speak well. My follow up question would be, compared to whom? Maybe it?s because I?m an ?Alien? who is totally legal.
In closing, I would like to encourage our Belizean students to raise the standard even higher and keep up the good reputation.
Jenny Betson Williams