In the small village of More Tomorrow, there's an even smaller primary school, but now it's in danger since none of the teachers showed up to work. While the school was set to open with two teachers and their teaching principal, only the principal remained and she's had to educate 40 students across 8 grades from infant 1 to standard 6.
It's been frustrating for the principal, who fears she will not be able to handle it much longer and may need to take drastic measures. In the meantime, she has asked for volunteers from the village but has only gotten a couple.
Today she told our news team that she's trying to hold on as long as she can for the sake of her students. Courtney Menzies went west today and has this story.
The students of More Tomorrow are a week and half into classes but have yet to see any teachers. That's because all 40 students of this multigrade school are being taught by the principal.
According to Dominina Pop, the week before school started, she had a full staff, but they abandoned the ship just before the first day.
Dominina Pop, Principal, More Tomorrow Gov't School
"In the beginning of the school year, I had a full staff. They were here with me, we met, we had meetings and prepared but unfortunately to the end of the week, just before school reopened, they all gave up on me because of the distance, where the village is located, the road is very bad and traveling for them is very hard especially, I have one who was going to school who is still trying to achieve her Bachelor's Degree so it was very difficult for her. And the other one, she lives in Georgeville and she found it very hard to be traveling here everyday with no transportation."
Courtney Menzies:
"You have three classrooms, and you have 40 students and you have 8 grades, how have you been doing it?"
Dominina Pop, Principal, More Tomorrow Gov't School
"Well, it's like magic, you have to be here there and everywhere. It is very difficult, it is stressful but I am trying to survive as a teaching principal and as a teacher dedicated to children, you have to do your best, even though maybe you do things you shouldn't do, but that's our best we have to be there for the children."
And she says that it's devastating that teachers don't want to work in their village, and added that if nothing changes, some of the students will have to find another school.
Dominina Pop, Principal, More Tomorrow Gov't School
"It is sad, it is heartbreaking, but at the same time, I feel good about myself because I am ready to give up what is good for me out there to be here and for the children and I hope at the end, our parents genuinely appreciate what I do."
"At the end if they don't send any teachers by next week, next week Monday, I am going to dismiss the majority of the children and I am going to deal with my class because I can't be teaching all, I can't give my time to all the divisions."
One parent told us that he's kept his daughter at home, hoping that more teachers will arrive, but he's concerned his child may be falling behind.
David Hernandez, Parent/Resident, More Tomorrow
"When I went to primary school back in the day, yesterday was the 10th of September, a holiday. When I was in primary school, infant 1, I knew the 10th of September holiday because of St George's Caye. My daughter now, if I wouldn't tell her, she wouldn't know that would be a holiday. Independence is coming, they might parade out here, she would wave a flag not knowing why she's waving it so she's not getting the education I remember I had back in the day when I was in school."
"My daughter, this is the second week. I think education is the key to success as you can see on the wall behind this building, and if nothing is done to alleviate this situation here then I would be forced to take my child to private school or maybe some other school out there."
And while he has that option, he'd rather assist the school in his village, especially since other parents may not have the means to traverse the long dirt road out of More Tomorrow.
David Hernandez, Parent/Resident, More Tomorrow
"It all comes back to trying to solve the issue first at hand, if that does not help then we see what we can do out there but that would be like running away from the problem that we have here at the moment."
"We may have businessmen, we may have entrepreneurs, we may have financial people, teachers, whatnot we may have and probably they may end up doing drugs and marijuana like a lot of guys and then that would probably be the end of them. So we have to see the future of it, not the problem now, but this would lead to consequences down the road."
Dominina Pop, Principal, More Tomorrow Gov't School
"It concerns me because what happened, traveling from here like I said is very difficult. For some parents, they might be able to take their children because they have vehicles but what happens to the ones who don't have transportation to transport the children?"
"I think it's going to be a downfall for More Tomorrow but I'm hoping the Ministry on a whole is trying their best and they are going to do something."
Pop also told us that the local manager has expressed difficulty finding teachers, but is asking her to be patient. But with shaping 40 young minds is no easy feat.
We reached out to the CEO of MOE, Dian Maheia, but up to news time, she had not responded.
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