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They started planning it last week, and today, the BNTU president told the press that they are hoping to get major turnout from the 6 thousand teachers countrywide:

Elena Smith, President, BNTU
"Looking carefully you will see that the colors that we are wearing today, our colors signify that we are mourning for our children. And so, I just want to start off by getting to our teachers. Our teachers are well aware of what is going on with our children because we deal with them on a daily basis. We see and we hear what it is they are going through with all the violence that has been happening in our country. Our teachers then felt that as the second mothers to these children, that we had to make a statement as it relates to what has been going on. We have not tallied the numbers that we have gotten so far but based on the reports that we have gotten with all our branches we should be seeing a vast number of teachers joining us on Thursday."

Reporter
"What would you say to teachers who may think this is yet another rally? We've seen a number of rallies over the year and this looks like just another one being put on by the BNTU."

Elena Smith, President, BNTU
"The matter of 'just another rally,' this cry has come from our members and so this was not something that we at the head table said: this is what we want. Our teachers asked for this. I think what makes it different is that within our rally we have a set of demands that we want to put forth."

But, while the BNTU leadership's polling of their members say that teachers will show in big numbers, they are also aware that the school managers have been sending memos to their teachers reminding them that Thursday is a normal school day, and if they decide to miss classes and attend the rally, their pay may be cut. The President said that the teachers should not interpret that as a intimidation tactic to stand down. Here's how she explained why:

Elena Smith, President, BNTU
"We've asked the ministry to declare Thursday a non-school day. However, we have not received any word from them as it relates to that decision. We are unsure who is going to be the person to respond as we are aware that Doctor Babb is out of the country. Nonetheless, we want to thank the ministry because, as we understand it, they are fully supporting our stand and they are aware of what it is that they need to do as a ministry to ensure the protection of our students. And so, we want to say to our teachers that despite the fact that you have seen memos coming in from the ministry saying that salaries might be ducked, we want teachers to understand that the managing authorities do have a responsibility to inform them as to what their rights are and as to what could be possible consequences of us taking those rights on. However, we want to remind our teachers as well that it is the ministry who has the final say as it relates to the ducking of salaries and, based on our understanding from the ministry, that is not going to be done. We've seen memos being sent from the Catholic management, we've seen from the Anglican management- I'm not sure if it is from the general managers or maybe just a local manager- and we've also seen one from the manager for the government schools who have sent out these things to teachers. Again, we want teachers to understand and not let these things intimidate you because, as managing authorities, they have a responsibility to inform teachers of what their roles are and what are possible consequences. So, they are just doing their duties as managers to inform. We still do have our teachers supporting, again we have been reaching out to them to explain to them the purpose of those memos so that they are not frightened or intimidated by what they are seeing. We understand that there are some principals who have been politically appointed or given those positions and so, we understand that these persons- and because of these situations- these persons would act in a way to protect the ministry, if I may call it that. And so, they will do all in their power to get teachers not to support."

The rally will begin at 8 a.m. in Belmopan.