7 News Belize

Raffle Book Back And Forth
posted (May 10, 2010)
If you've got a child in school you know about raffle-books. Kids come home with them for fundraising activities – and in most cases parents end up buying the book.

It's standard practice – but in Benque Viejo at Mount Carmel high today, 43 students – about 10% of the student body - were sent home because they didn't sell their ten dollar raffle books. One father who took a stand told us why he didn't buy the book.

Insp. Dinsdale Thompson, O.C. Benque Viejo
"This morning some of the students brought back tickets that were not sold in any way."

Alfred Panti, Parent - Mount Carmel
"She told me that she was sent back home because she did not sell the raffle tickets, she had sold 5 out of 10 and I have lots of children, 4 children in school right now, 4 in primary school and 1 in high school so that's 5 going to school. I can't buy all the raffles for all of them, so I buy the ones that are cheap from primary school. Then the high school, I couldn't buy everything so I bought 5, its 50% contributing to the high school. They still send my child home, because she did not sell all the raffle tickets. After that I went to talk to the principal and the principal said she have no choice, you either buy it or sell it. I tell her that I don't have money for that. The principal said she can't come to school. So I had to seek assistance from the police. "

Jules Vasquez
"The other argument is that you already bought 50% and it's just five dollars more to buy the next 50%."

Alfred Panti, Parent - Mount Carmel
"It's not the amount of money, it's the situation they are putting the children in. There are lots of single mothers out there. So much children that they can't afford it. Five dollars is nothing, man, I can get it but i am not only talking on my side, I am talking for the people. I have so much people in Succotz, single mothers who don't have source how to send their children to school and they find somehow, if they only eat rice and corn tortilla to send their children to school, Then because they don't sell that raffle ticket... Things is hard here in Belize, if you go out to sell a raffle ticket nobody want to buy a raffle ticket because you don't eat a raffle ticket. But if you go sell something that makes sense they will buy it. "

Rodolfo Juan, Principal - Mount Carmel
"This is the one time of the year when the school asks parents, students to collaborate with a little fund raising through a raffle. Our students are aware of this, they have had their raffle for quite a number of time now and therefore what we ask them is to please take the time to assist the school. All the year the school assist them. We are asking a little contribution from them."

Jules Vasquez
"Now the situation has reached a resolution."

Rodolfo Juan, Principal - Mount Carmel
"All students as they are very much aware of, they will be allowed back in tomorrow."

Jules Vasquez
"How hard is it to make a decision to send kids home? I know for any administrator ultimately you know you should have the children in school. How tough was that decision?"

Rodolfo Juan, Principal - Mount Carmel
"It's never easy, it's something that I think every principal no matter where they are struggles to deal with. But at the end of the day we also have responsibilities to other members of our school body, to members of staff, we have bills that we need to pay. Therefore in a difficult situation between a rock and a hard place, sometimes we have to make those hard decisions."

Jules Vasquez
"Some of them have multiple children in multiple schools and all the raffles come around at the same time."

Rodolfo Juan, Principal - Mount Carmel
"We are well aware of that and that's why we just ask for ten dollars contribution Mr. Jules. As you are aware many parents struggle to pay their bills. Despite that we try accommodate them, in fact we offer probably the largest number of scholarships at our school than any other Catholic high school. We also have the lowest rates than any other Catholic high school in the country. Therefore we bend over backwards to accommodate those students who are struggling with financial difficulties."

Jules Vasquez
"Seeing the aftermath that has happened and the rumblings, the complaint at the police station, if you had to do it again, Mr. Juan, would you do it?"

Rodolfo Juan, Principal - Mount Carmel
"Like I said, sometimes there are hard decision that need to be made and I assure you with God's grace we will make those hard decisions if we need to take them. It's in the best interest of our school and the best interest of our nation. Sometimes right things are not necessary the easy things, but we need to make those decisions."

As the principal noted, those students will be allowed back into school tomorrow. Actually he said some had returned today.

The school did not have a fair this year so as to not put pressure on families. The school has 430 students.

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