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ln Lhe sprlng of 2013, 20 Mlaml unlverslLy sLudenLs Lraveled Lo 8ellze ln order Lo learn abouL
Lhe slmllarlues and dlerences ln schoollng. 1he ma[orlLy of our research was focused on Caye
Caulker 8oman CaLhollc School ln Caye Caulker, 8ellze. We worked ln Lhe classroomwlLh
sLudenLs ages slx and elghL for a week ln order Lo gaLher our daLa.
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Pow does Lhe classroomsLrucLure ln 8ellzean publlc elemenLary schools compare Lo Lhe
sLrucLure of publlc elemenLary schools ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes?
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1he arucle llsLed below ls a schools ln 8ellze's mlsslon sLaLemenL. lL menuons Lhe goals of Lhe
school lncludlng a focus on a peaceful envlronmenL, Leachlng CaLhollc morals, and formlng a
famlly splrlL." Schools ln 8ellze are funded by rellglous enuues. 8ellglon sLudy ls Lhe base of Lhe
currlculumas prayers are sald LhroughouL Lhe day. 1here ls also a speclc ume for rellglous
sLudy, however, rellglon ls LaughL LhroughouL all lessons.
hup://www.bes.edu.bz/phllosophy.php
1he prlmary schools ln 8ellze are usually prlvaLely owned. An average of 80 of Lhe cosL ls
funded by Lhe 8ellze MlnlsLry of Lducauon, yeL, mosL schools are owned by one rellglous group.
ln 8ellze Lhere are dlerenL requlremenLs ln order Lo become a Leacher. Around 43 of
Leachers aL prlmary schools have an assoclaLe degree buL no Lralnlng ln educauon. Cver 80 of
chlldren auendlng prlmary school never compleLe sLandard 6 (equlvalenL Lo 8
Lh
grade). 1he
graduauon raLe ln ls beLween 30-30. ln Caye Caulker, Lhe graduauon raLe ls less Lhan 10 buL
many chlldren never even begln hlgh school.
hup://www.guldeLobellze.lnfo/en_educauon.hLml.
Accordlng Lo Lhe nauonal CenLer for Lducauon SLausucs, Lhe laLesL graduauons raLe of hlgh
school sLudenLs ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes ls 73.3. 1hls ls [usL over 3 mllllon sLudenLs. 1here ls less
Lhan a 2 drop ouL raLe of sLudenLs ln grades klndergarLen Lhrough elghLh grade.
hup://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/lndlcaLor_scr.asp
Comparing Classroom Structure in Belizean and American Schools
Carollne Mlller, Abbey Coleman, and krlsLen Lspe
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Cur focus was on Lhe sLrucLure of 8ellzean schools wlLh a focus on school fundlng, rellglon,
dlsclpllne, and envlronmenL.
School lundlng
Schoollng can be expenslve ln 8ellze as lL ls only parually funded by Lhe governmenL. All sLudenLs
have Lo pay for Luluon, unlforms, and supplles. ln 8ellze, Lhere ls a law sLaung LhaL chlldren musL
go Lo school up Lo age 14. AlLhough Lhls law ls ln place, Lhere are no Lruancy omcers Lo enforce
Lhls. 1he hlgh cosL and lack of enforcemenL lead Lo hlgh drop ouL raLes.
8ellglon
8ellglon ls Lhe base of schoollng 8ellze as publlc schools are funded Lhrough rellglous enuues.
1here ls a separaLe parL of Lhe day where chlldren focus on rellglous sLudy. Chlldren also pray
LhroughouL Lhe day when prompLed by Lhe Leacher. 8ellglon ls broughL lnLo lessons on oLher
sub[ecLs such as how Cod creaLed Lhe colors we see. 8ellglon ls also one way Leachers supporL
dlsclpllne ln Lhe school.
ulsclpllne
Many umes durlng Lhe schools day Leachers would menuon how acuons are lnapproprlaLe
because lL ls agalnsL Lhelr rellglon and lL hurLs Lhelr Cod. 8ules and consequences are posLed ln Lhe
classroomso LhaL chlldren undersLand LhaL Lhelr acuons wlll be dlsclpllned. 1he mosL common
formof dlsclpllne we observed was LhaL Lhe chlldren who mlsbehave or do noL compleLe Lhelr
work musL sLay aer class unul dlsmlssed by Lhe Leacher. We also saw chlldren belng forced Lo
sLand ln a corner when mlsbehavlor or when chewlng gum, Lhe sLudenL had Lo place Lhe gumon
her nose for Lhe remalnder of Lhe school day.
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1he schools envlronmenL was a very open envlronmenL. 1here were many parenLs who came and
paruclpaLed LhroughouL Lhe school day. 1he classrooms open dlrecLly Lo Lhe ouLdoors where Lhe
playground was locaLed. 1he playground conslsLed malnly of sand and rocks. 1here was also a
large amounL of Lrash ln Lhe play area LhaL Lhe chlldren would play wlLh.
uurlng our Lrlp Lo 8ellze, our eyes were opened Lo a whole new educauonal experlence. When we
arrlved, we qulckly nouced LhaL Lhe school had a more open appearance as we were used Lo
classrooms LhaL were alr condluoned and ln enclosed bulldlngs. AlLhough lL was dlerenL, lL made
sense LhaL Lhe bulldlngs were deslgned Lhls way because of Lhe dlerence ln weaLher.
When we conunued Lo look lnslde of Lhe classrooms, we nouced LhaL Lhe classroomwas lled
wlLh lndlvldual desks and no Lechnology. 1here were Amerlcan carLoon characLers as well as
rellglous gures posLed LhroughouL Lhe classroom.
1he maln way LhaL Leachers geL Lhelr message across ls Lhrough work books and uslng Lhe chalk
board. 1hroughouL Lhe day Lhe chlldren were glven Lwo 13 mlnuLe breaks as well as an hour and a
half lunch break where sLudenLs wenL home Lo eaL
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ln concluslon, we have found LhaL Lhere are many dlerences beLween publlc prlmary schools ln
Lhe unlLed SLaLes and 8ellze. We saw dlerences ln dlsclpllne, envlronmenL, and expecLauons of
Leachers.
We learned Lhls by belng able Lo be a parL of Lhe schools and educauonal sysLemln 8ellze for a
week. lL was such a unlque learnlng experlence. We were more Lhan [usL LourlsLs as we became
members of Lhe communlLy. Lvery day we would go and bulld relauonshlps wlLh Lhe chlldren and
Lhe Leachers as we observed and LaughL Lhe classes. Cur eyes have been opened as we le our
culLure and sLepped lnLo a new one. We came Lo appreclaLe Lhe dlerences ln culLure Lhrough
belng a parL of lL. We come froma socleLy where Lechnology ls very lmporLanL and schools are
conunuously havlng Lo be compeuuve wlLh one anoLher. uue Lo Lhe compeuuveness, we oen
focus on LesL scores and lose slghL of whaL educauon ls all abouL. 1hrough worklng wlLh Lhe
schools ln Caye Caulker, 8ellze we regalned lnslghL LhaL schoollng ls abouL lmprovlng sLudenLs
knowledge and helplng Lhemgrow. We felL LhaL educauon was more valued ln 8ellze because Lhe
famllles are paylng for Lhe educauon wlLh llule money. A hlgher educauon ls a rarlLy ln 8ellze
because of low wages and Lhe need for sLudenLs Lo work.
Cverall, golng Lo 8ellze was a phenomenal learnlng experlence. We feel LhaL we have galned a
new lens when looklng aL dlerenL culLures LhaL wlll remaln wlLh us forever.