BNTU and Education Ministry Move Ahead with Increments, Training and Digitization

The Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) has made progress with the government on more than just salaries this week. On Monday, the union met with the Ministry of Education to discuss various issues. This included an update on their increments and allowances and the government’s ongoing commitment to resolving outstanding financial awards, including appointments, confirmations, and pending salary revisions across all levels. It was also announced in that meeting that the digitization of increments and allowances is in the pipeline and should be up and running in time for the 2025-26 academic year.  Other points of discussion at Monday’s meeting included professional development courses for teachers, licensing requirements for teachers, possible allowance for Heads of Departments at the secondary level, as well as compensation for additional teaching duties due to staff shortage. The Ministry issued a statement on the meeting today, announcing that there will be the establishment of a secondary school staffing schedule to be implemented in the 2025-2026 academic year, to address the employment needs of school counsellors. Additionally, there is a new Certification Programme for School Counsellors, which would impact licensure and tenure and will be launched through the Teacher Learning Institute (TLI) in the upcoming academic year.