As the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) moves into its 11th day of teachers strike on October 18, 2016, the National Committee for Families and Children (NCFC) has expressed in a press release that it is deeply concerned and regrets the plight that our children are currently facing as they are being deprived of one of their fundamental rights, which is explicitly stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child; that of the right to a good quality education.
Article 28 states that, “you have the right to a good quality education and be encouraged to go to school to the highest level you can.” In fact, article three of the convention states that when adults are making decisions that the child’s welfare should be the paramount consideration.
NCFC stresses that the present state of affairs in which our children are out of school for the past two weeks is a direct violation of the very article stated above. NCFC is of the firm belief that children should never be deprived of the opportunity to develop their abilities and talents. To this end, NCFC calls on all parties to swiftly find a resolution that will return our children to the classroom, which will be in the best interest of our children and their families.
