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After five grenade explosions since May of 2008, Belize City is on a hair trigger. And that’s why there was widespread panic yesterday when word spread yesterday about a grenade at the Wesley Primary School on Albert Street. It was just a rumour – and though there were normal classes today – the mere mention of a grenade at a primary school concerned parents. We spoke to some of them.

Keith Swift Reporting,
Parents picking up their children from Wesley Primary School this afternoon were confused and concerned.

Mother #1,
“I nuh get the sense of the story at all.”

Giving rise to the concern was the presence of uniformed and plain clothes police in the area. Also the school’s gate was locked and parents were not allowed to enter the compound.

Mother #2,
“I came to feed my kids but they told me I can’t go in. I don’t know why. I usually go in and sit down with them until they done eat.”

Mother #3,
“They just say you should wait at the gate and then they will call the children.”

Father #1,
“They say we can’t come in and they won’t allow no parents or guardians to come and see their children in the compound.”

And that uncertainty – angered some parents.

Mother #4,
“This dah lone fool because the principal is saying it is nothing and then they had a grenade threat. If grenade threat deh fi the babies them, I don’t think they should have classes at all.”

Jules Vasquez,
“So you heard about a threat at the school or on the radio?”

Mother #1,
“No I didn’t hear anything. I don’t know. I came for my child and they say you can’t go in. I want to know why we can’t go in and I have my grandchild and I get timid because I don’t know what is going on.”

Mother #4,
“I don’t know what is going on with the teachers. They better call a meeting with we so we could know what is going with our kids in there because suppose the grenade blow up in there now. What will they do?”

Jules Vasquez,
“You feel that as parents and guardians you all have a right to be informed?”

Mother #1,
“To be informed and know what is going on because that is our child and I think she could have called and said no school and have a parent teachers meeting and let us know what is happening because we are timid right now and we don’t know what is happening so we will take our children and keep them home.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Why do you think that school may be targeted?”

Mother #4,
“I don’t know what is going on with the gang. They better stop because no kids are involved with the gangs so I don’t think that is fair to we.”

Jules Vasquez,
“You’ll bring your kids back to school tomorrow?”

Mother #1,
“I the wait for an answer from the principal and then we will bring them back. She has to give us an answer.”

Principal Bernadine Pollard told us the school has received no bomb or any official report about a possible grenade attack. Security personnel simply told us that they are taking necessary precautions. A parent teachers meeting has been set for tomorrow.