Photo: Video clip of a teacher putting out a student at Canaan SDA

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Mar. 23, 2023

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology (MOECST) addressed a video that was leaked on social media that seems to show a teacher at Canaan SDA High School in Belize City behaving in a physically aggressive way toward a student on Wednesday, March 22.

In the video, a male teacher can be seen manhandling a young male student and wielding what appeared to be a stick.

The student can also be heard alleging that he was hit on his head by the teacher, and refusing to leave the classroom after the teacher forced him out, and denied him access.

In light of the situation, MOECST issued a press release today in which it stated that the details of the incident have yet to be established and that the ministry is yet to receive a full report. Nevertheless, the ministry expressed its disapproval of the behavior displayed by both parties and stated that, “Such behaviors only seek to undermine the trust that should encompass student-teacher relationships in an amicable and safe classroom setting.”

The release ended by saying that the Ministry “will continue to liaise with the Managing Authority of the institution to chart a way forward with respect to this matter.”