Ocean Academy Forced to Operate Without Proper Classrooms

For students at Ocean Academy in Caye Caulker Village, the new school term didn’t start inside a traditional classroom. Instead, lessons began across the community centre, repurposed buildings, and borrowed spaces.

Principal Noemi Zaiden said preparations began even before the holiday break. “We worked hard at securing spaces to be able to come back to,” she explained, noting the support of the village council and local residents who offered facilities.

With the school’s main campus still closed, the village council has offered its community centre and the NEMO room, while a former restaurant near the centre of town, once known as Fantasy Dining, was also made available. “Even before we reopened on Monday, we were moving desks, chairs, and getting electricity in. This morning alone, we transported over 50 desks and chairs,” Zaiden said.

The restaurant space, a single-storey building close to the water taxi terminal, cannot accommodate the full student population, but it has allowed some classes to resume face-to-face. “It’s a step in the right direction,” Zaiden said. “Our goal is to have students in person.”

To make it work, the school has adopted rotating schedules and split locations, ensuring students still connect with teachers and classmates. “Our students do P.E. near the airstrip, literally, you know, near the airstrip,” Zaiden said. “Those touchpoints matter. Socialising is just as important as the concepts they’re learning,” she added.

Behind the scenes, Ocean Academy is awaiting government approval for a more timely solution. The school has raised nearly 90,000 Belize dollars from local and international fundraising and has prefabricated structures ready to be placed on designated land. Zaiden said, “We were told a meeting would be set, but no one has reached out since.”

While Area Representative Andre Perez has announced plans for construction to begin by May, Zaiden said the immediate concern remains the present. “What we’re focused on is what happens between now and then,” she said. “Our students can’t wait.”

She credited teachers, parents, and the wider community for keeping the school going under the difficult circumstances. “I’m so grateful for teachers who care about students’ learning and their welfare,” she said. “And for a community that keeps showing up.”

As the term continues, Ocean Academy remains hopeful that approval will come soon. “It’s my prayer that we’ll be granted permission to place those structures,” Zaiden said. “Our students deserve safe, dry spaces to learn.”

News Five reached out to the Ministry of Education for comment.