Ocean Academy Breaks Away From Government School Project

Earlier this year, there were high hopes for a transformative partnership that would have seen the Government of Belize work alongside the Ocean Academy Board to modernize educational infrastructure on San Pedro. In February, the Ministry of Education announced that it would collaborate with the Ocean Academy Board and the Caye Caulker Village Council under the Belize Education Sector Reform Programme to advance major pre-primary and high school construction projects. But just months later, those plans have collapsed. Ocean Academy has since opted to pursue its own reconstruction efforts after the proposed agreement with the government fell apart. Belize Rural South Area Representative Andre Perez shed light on what led to the breakdown, explaining that fundamental disagreements between the school and the ministry ultimately derailed the initiative.

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy: “First of all, it’s more than a store. We have several stores that we provide the panty program. And that is a store that gets the smaller part of it, right? And that has been done for the past five months. There are times when a month passes and no payment has been given and that store continues to provide, we don’t lie. So that is important. And it provides, that grocery bag program provides to the needy, to the single mother, to somebody that is medical in need, someone who is unemployed, have children. These are the things we cater to. So to say that it’s a big figure or something, it is never enough. So I just want to clarify that and it is unfair. But that is a store that is at the heart of it. You know I have always collaborated with them because we know the conditions. We have visited several times, we have done my part as the area rep to do some funding to alleviate it. The best thing is to scrap it and build a new building. And also to mention also that the Ocean Academy, even though we’re going to build the school and ready for next year, they are qualified this year for what we call EUP program, which the students I think 175 students will be getting the free tuition for this year. But again, next year, whenever the high school opens, the government school, it will certainly change.”

Despite the collapse of the agreement, Perez says the greatest disappointment is what students ultimately stand to lose. According to the area representative, had the partnership remained intact, students attending Ocean Academy would have benefitted from free education under the proposed arrangement. Instead, the school will now move ahead independently to address pressing infrastructure concerns. Perez also stressed that significant rehabilitation works remain urgently needed at the academy, underscoring the importance of finding a sustainable path forward to improve learning conditions for students.

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy: “You know that is most unfortunate. It is most unfortunate. Deeply disheartening. I do know that we have been engaged in dialogue speaking with them because we know the urgency of building a new high school and we’re all in this together. There was all kind of allegations again, allegations about that the minister had sold out the beachfront area of the land and I was clarified we had a very fruitful meeting engaging with them and the point made by the Ministry of Education was clear that this was going to be a government run school. And with that means that teachers, students would be transferred over there. But we do know that they were talking about keeping it as the Ocean Academy and keeping it as they wanted to have their on curriculum. You know that’s not really what is happening. As it relates to the details that it as being done with the Ministry of Education and the school there was a correspondence and we thought they were all on board and low and behold  they just said that they don’t want to be a part, that they want to continue raise their own funds, that they want to continue to be a private school. I won’t go against it if they want to go private and keep it private that’s for them to do it but the funding of course don’t expect to get it from the government because the government has the responsibility to have a government run Highschool and especially to make clear too that the funding coming for it clearly makes it that it has to be a government run school.”

The academy is operated by the Ocean Academy Board of Directors, an independent board that oversees the school’s governance, finances and long-term development. While it works closely with the Ministry of Education and receives government support in areas such as teacher salaries and grants, it is not a fully government-owned institution.