Friday, March 15, 2024

Dear Editor,

I currently reside here in Belize for 15 years now, and would hope you can help these Belizean parents. This problem is a national problem which I feel can be resolved by your national newspaper.

I have had countless conversations with parents who have children in the school system complaining about the endless school projects and the great expense to them throughout the school year. Multiple parents have brought me their school project receipts and the amounts are preposterous, to say the least. The amount in Belize dollars – several hundred dollars per year – is not a sustainable amount. For parents who have several children, imagine now we’re talking in the thousands.

No Belizean should have to shoulder such a burden year after year. These school projects just end up at the land-fill garbage pile. This wasted money should go to a better quality of life, or be spent on school tuition. 

In my humble opinion, it would be great to abolish school projects or limit them to 4 projects a year. Please forgive me, but Belizean parents can’t eat foam board.

I hope and pray that your newspaper makes this a national issue, and that you can help alleviate this awful financial burden on parents and students.

Thank you. 

Zoraida Cruz