Belize get US$10 million loan from IDB
The Belize government has
signed an agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to implement
a US$10 million loan to improve the quality and gender equity of education at
the primary and secondary levels in the country.
“Education is a huge
priority for us. This particular agreement, part of what really is a continuum
with respect to the bank’s assistance with respect to education, this is
especially important. So, I, once again, place on record our gratitude to you
and to the bank,” Prime Minister Dean Barrow said as he signed the agreement
with the IDB’s Country Representative Dr Cassandra T. Rogers.
The agreement launches the
second phase of the Education Quality Improvement Programme (EQIP II), with
special focus on innovation in Science Technology Engineering Arts and
Mathematics (STEAM) education, and that will expand the learning of scientific,
digital and problem-solving skills.
STEAM Lab School
As part of the programme,
a STEAM Lab School will be built in Belize City, as an innovative secondary
school that provides young people with enriching pathways to future-forward
education and career opportunities.
The school will encourage
innovation and experimentation by its student and faculty bodies through its
integrated, inquiry and problem-based learning approaches. It is envisioned
that the school will have 300 students once fully operational.
At the primary level, the program will help the 50 per cent of schools that have not yet benefited from EQIP as part of its first phase. This will include training in hands-on student-centred learning for 320 principals, 1,500 teachers and some 12,000 students.
