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The idea is to get these children in some kind of programme where they can earn at least a PSE. But is shutting down Excelsior high school the right solution? We went looking for answers.

Jules Vasquez, Reporting
137 students currently attend Excelsior High School on Faber's Road in Belize City but next year, all of them will have to find a new school - because this will be made into a re-medial and vo-tech school. It is a first step towards somehow capturing the eleven thousand primary school aged children who are out of school:

Arlette Gomez, Information Officer - Ministry of Education
"What we are hoping to do is to convert the existing facilities into what we will call like a remedial vo-tech facility to try to assist the 11,000 children that are out of school. We want to teach them some life skills get them off the streets, get them into a positive learning environment and to help them to be equipped with some type of skill to go out there and be able to be self sufficient. So basically we are going to be turning that facility into a remedial vo-tech facility, getting students ready to re-take the PSE, who were out of school and could not take it. Get them ready for it so there will be some remedial classes in English and math and some social studies. For those students who want to do some kind of vo-tech type training we will have facilities for that also. I think that we need to emphasize why we are doing this and it's to get to these students, we keep hearing about crime in our city and the younger are the ones who are perpetrating these crimes and that type of stuff. So we need to catch these children now, they are out of school, they are on the streets, their minds are wondering, they get into a lot of mischief. We get them into a positive environment, give them the life skills that they need, and then we can say that we are trying to get them to become productive citizens of our country."

But is this effort to save those students being made at the risk of disenfranchinsing the students currently enrolled at Excelsior?:

Monica Bodden
"What about the 200 plus students from Excelsior High School? What will happen to them?"

Arlette Gomez
"137 students at Excelsior. We will be placing them in the other government high schools that are on the south side of the city. Namely; Sadie Vernon, Gwen Lizarraga and Maud Williams high school."

Monica Bodden
"Do you think that the transition of Excelsior being placed in 3 different high schools...Do you think that is going to affect them in any sort of way?"

Arlette Gomez
"I don't see that it should because they will still be in a high school environment. They will still be doing high school courses, it's just geography, they are moving from one location to another. We have ensured already that the spaces are available and there will be no overcrowding for the students. So we know that that will be some of the concerns that the parents will have. we have ensured that that will not be an issue."

That's left to be seen - but the ministry is moving forward with this and the plan to convert this old Venus Bus terminal into a vo-tech school for those who never finished high school:

Arlette Gomez
"If you can recall when what is call ITVETs now when that was first originated, it was originated for students who were not in school, who couldn't complete high school and they could go at what we call it at the time the Center for Employment Training, to pick up a trade and basically be able to do something and earn and income. The shifts have change and the ITVETs are now geared towards high school graduates and that type of thing. so now to help those students who can't get into the ITVET because they drop out in maybe 2nd form and they are only 14 or 15 and don't have the high school diploma, that is what that facility is use for."

We did try and speak with students and families presently attending Excelsior but we were unable to do so today. We hope to have their comments tomorrow.

Gomez says the ministry will be meeting with parents shortly and will announce next week when the meeting will be. The new school should be ready between September and October.

Those wishing to send their kids their can call the ministry of education.