Belize City Boy Safely Escorted to School After Morning Drop Off Mix Up

Gabriel Orelliano, a child who was attending stella marris School wondered off campus – avoiding detection from the schoolteachers and ended up at the hanger area in Belize city where he tragically drowned on February 3rd of this year. It was an obvious display of neglect by the school and the community, as his death could have been avoided. Today we have a similar situation but luckily it has a happier ending. Quacy Stain, a 5-year-old student at Buttonwood Nazarene Primary school, was reportedly dropped off at the Pound Yard area, Belize City, instead of his school On Friday morning. As faith has it, a good Samaritan saw the 5-year-old and took him to his school. His father, Isani Stain, gave us his account of what happened 

Isani Stain, Concerned Father: “We usually catch our Hattieville bus coming from Hattieville going to Faber’s Junctions because Buttonwood Bay Nazarene Primary School have a school bus that picks up the students up from Belama and goes to Buttonwood Bay. She usually takes the bus with the kid. Now Thursday came and someone from the Ministry of Education went on the bus, by the name of Mr. Cobb. He informed parents that they were not allowed to go on the bus anymore due to seating on the bus and kids standing up. But he didn’t place in that he would have a school warden or a teacher on the bus to watch the kids. When he came on the bus, he advised my girlfriend that don’t worry, the contractor or the conductor, whosoever going to be on the bus, will make sure the kids reach the school safe. Friday was the first day he did it. My girl went, dropped him on the bus. I went to work. Doing the day as normal, everything’s going okay. In the afternoon now. I’m here in Belize City waiting for my son, one thirty, because the class over one forty-five. So, I sat down there and waited for him. Then the school warden came and asked, “Do you put your kid on the bus? I explained to her yes, my wife is the one who usually deals with that situation there. She said that the bus goes to Pound Yard, then goes to Belama and then comes to the school. But she did not inform me that my son went on the bus to Pound Yard, came off the bus at Pound Yard and a complete stranger picked him up and took him to the school. My girlfriend told me that her sister called her and explained to her about the situation that happened on Friday. I was there on Friday, why didn’t I get informed about the situation? I keep calling Ministry of Education, I call Mr. Cobb and I call the Principal of the school and I tried to get explanation on what happened there. I did not get any explanation. What they tried to do is try to put themselves out of the situation like they did nothing wrong.”

After contacting numerous people for clarity, Isani and his wife were pushed around as no one wanted to be held accountable. He says he has no idea why his son was just allowed to get off the bus, he is still seeking answers.

Isani Stain, Concerned Father: “We had a meeting this morning. I explained to the principal that I am coming from Gracie Rock with a load because I am a truck driver. I go to work from four in the morning until six in the evening and she knows that because I explained that to her. So, I told her just to wait a little bit. I’ll be there. When I reached the school now, the meeting has already concluded with my wife there. What did they tell my wife? They tell my wife nothing. The bus driver tried to pin that on my wife that it was all her fault. So he is an ignorant person. When I reached there, I didn’t saw even the bus driver nor the contractor who operates the bus. So, the Ministry of Education provided the bus service to the schools.  Those were the people that I went to try to get more information from. Why did the bus driver leave my kid on the road and just leave him there take off in a populated area like Pound Yard? Anything could have happened to my son. We know how Belize is. I still haven’t gotten an answer and I’m still here wondering why he did something like that. I want the ministry to please do something about this because the story could be way different than how I’m saying it today. I could have a way different weekend than how I had it yesterday.  Southside and Northside are two livity and two kind of people. I am from Northside. I try to do things the right way because I have a son I don’t want him to grow up that kind of way. I just want to do the thing the right way. You all as big adults and big heads you should know better. When mistakes happen like that, you jump on it right away and try to resolve the problem. But instead of beating around the bush and trying have people run around like they’re crazy, because nobody’s crazy. The only way you get somebody crazy is if you do something way out of the way. The way how they come to me today, like we literally that the parents in are wrong and all they could have said was sorry. It could have been a different, different, different vibes Friday. I was at work, not knowing anything that happened. My girl was here with me, not even know what’s happening. How? Because we had to find out the realest or craziest way.

Love News has reached out to Principal Wendy Smith for her side of the story on which she simply replied “No Comments”