New Ocean Academy Building to Begin Construction in July  

This morning, parents, teachers, and students from Caye Caulker’s Ocean Academy packed into the village community center to press for answers, after months of holding classes in borrowed spaces, from a NEMO room to a former restaurant, while their flood damaged campus remains shut. And tonight, Area Representative Andre Perez says the Ministry of Education is stepping in, committing to build a brand new school and working with Ocean Academy to secure a safer temporary home while that construction gets underway. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

A restaurant isn’t supposed to be a classroom, but for months, it’s been one of the only places Ocean Academy students can gather after floods, mold, and a mosquito infestation shut down their campus. Since then, teachers and students have been bouncing between borrowed rooms or logging in online just to keep classes going. It’s been a tough stretch, and Principal Noemi Zaiden says the kids are simply craving something every school should provide: stability.

 

Noemi Zaiden, Principal, Ocean Academy High School

“We have been asking since mid-November to be granted permission to build on the land at the back. We have a campus, and you’ll hear some more about that. Where we have, we’ve brought in the engineer, we’ve brought in the health department, and they have approved for us to use. The second and the third floor. The first floor, we can’t use the first floor. So it’s a campus that cannot host all of our students.”

 

This morning, parents, teachers, and village council members sat down with Area Representative Andre Perez to lay out their worries and get straight answers about the future of Ocean Academy. Perez told them the school has the government’s full backing, and construction on a brand‑new facility is set to start in July. But even with that commitment, everyone agrees, students still need a safe, temporary home while the bulldozers get to work.

 

Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South

“Remember this  meeting here we are discussing is that they are trying to present a plan to build some temporary buildings. And I understand the urgency behind it. But as I told them, it’s not just putting up a building, it has to be done the proper way. And that is why whenever the team comes in, they can inspect and give all the approval. I’m supporting it. And of course Ministry of Education is supporting it, obtain permission, but it’s okay because the campus is huge. It’s huge. But we have to make sure it’s built somewhere and it’s not going to be in any way of the construction that begins. Remember, it has to be done properly. Electricity, water this the bathroom facilities. I just mentioned to today whether if it’s I understand the amount is being invested. But if they say it’s going to be repurposed of something else eventually because you don’t want to invest a hundred  thousand dollars in something that is just going to be temporary. It has to be done with a long term because it’s a substantial amount of money.”

 

Although the school is grateful for the borrowed spaces, they are not always available for use and as third-form student Iyianni Magana explains, online classes are often difficult to follow.

 

Iyianni Magana, Student, Academy High School

“Certain subjects like information communication technology, which is ICT, it’s hard to learn it on an online platform because you can’t, you have to split your screen and then the tabs are a little bit too small for you to figure out exactly what you’re doing for that class. And in some classes they’re doing coding, which is better to do on face-to-face than online because they have stuff that easily distract you, like your phone, for example. And you’re scrolling on your phone and you’re not paying attention in class. And also it’s better doing face to face because then you’re actually actively learning in the class than being distracted at home.”

 

Perez says officials from the Ministry of Education will sit down with him and the school on February eighteenth to map out a long‑term fix for Ocean Academy and go deeper into plans for the new campus. And Principal Zaiden stresses that whatever solution they land on, it must give students a safe place to reconnect, socialize, and simply be kids again.

 

Noemi Zaiden

“We get students asking us like, when will we have our campus? When will we be together learning online, because we don’t have spaces to accommodate all our students, so we have to have a rotational schedule where some have to shift online so others can use the locations that we do have. I have to say, immense gratitude to the Caye Caulker community who have been partnering with us to just lend us restaurant spaces above bars, spaces, but for the kids it is challenging to be, shifting online because they learn of course better when they’re face to face. They need to socialize. They just need to feel like there is stability is stability.”

 

Additionally, the Ministry of Education has committed to providing all one hundred and seventy-two students with free education next school year.

 

Andre Perez

“Several high  schools across the country get free tuition free education for going to college. In the case from Ambergris Caye. I think the ones in Cayo as well, they did get that as well. And I recall speaking with minister Fonseca  back then and he has assured me that they could not do it for the last year. I was clamoring from last year. No, not because of the budget and planning. He did assure me that this fiscal year it’ll be included.”

 

For now, classes will keep shifting around the village, and some will stay online, while officials work out a new temporary solution. Britney Gordon for News Five.