Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, “BBTE” means the Belize Board of Teacher Education established under section 23 of this Act; “Central Districts’” means the Belize and Cayo Districts; “Chief Education Officer” means the public officer appointed as such under section 4 (1) of this Act; “child” means a person under the age of eighteen years; “child of compulsory school age” means any person who is between five years and fourteen years of age; means the Commission established under section 15 of this Act; “community school” means a school or institution not owned by a specific person, organization or group of organizations and which is managed by a Board of Management composed mainly of representatives of parents, school staff and local community organizations; “continuing education” means a short-term programme of study in a specific area for professional or employment or job related skills and knowledge enhancement; it can be award- bearing or non-award bearing and vocational or non- “corporal punishment” refers to anything done to a child for the purpose of punishing that child (whether or not there are other reasons for doing it) which, apart from any justification, would constitute battery; “dean” means the person appointed as an administrator of a Junior College, Sixth Form or other post-secondary institution; “denominational school” means a school which is owned and managed by a religious denomination; “denomination” means religious denomination; “Education Council” means the National Council for Education established under section 7 of this Act; “Government” means the Government of Belize; “government school” means a school established or retained and maintained by the Government wholly from funds allocated out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. “government-aided school” means a school in receipt of a grant-in-aid from the Government in accordance with provisions in Rules made under this Act; “higher education” means a programme of study leading to the award of an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, a graduate certificate, a graduate diploma, a master’s degree, a doctoral degree or any equivalent qualifications; 10 “institution” means an educational institution providing some organized form of educational service, including technical and “ITVET” means an Institute for Technical and Vocational Education and Training recognized by the Ministry to offer pre-vocational and vocational programs for the development of technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills at secondary and post secondary levels; “ITVET manager” means the administrator in charge of an ITVET; “managing authority” means the managing authority and includes a manager, board of management, governors, trustees, a person or committee appointed under section 39 of this Act; “member of staff” in relation to a school means any person who works as a teacher at a school or other place at which education is provided, or any person who (whether in connection with the provision of education or the provision of support services to the school or its students) works at a school or institution or otherwise provides his services there (whether for payment or not for payment), and has lawful control or charge of pupils; “Minister” means the Minister responsible for Education; and “Ministry” shall be construed accordingly; “non-coeducational” means a school, high school, college, junior college, sixth form, or other educational institution in which all students are of the same sex; “Northern Districts” means the Corozal and Orange Walk Districts; “parent” in relation to any child, means a mother, father, step mother or step father, and includes a guardian or a person who has actual custody of the child; Education and Training [CAP. 36.0111 “post-secondary institution” or “tertiary institution” means educational institutions of which normal matriculation requirements include completion of secondary school; “pre-primary” means the level of schooling suitable for children between the ages of three and five years; “preschool” means an educational institution or programme for children between the ages of three and five years; “primary school” means a school recognized by the Ministry as providing instruction and training suited to the ages, abilities and aptitudes of children between the ages of five years and fourteen years; “principal” means, in relation to any school, the teacher in charge of providing educational leadership, including managing the day to day affairs of the school, to assure and improve the quality of education provided; “private school” means a school licenced to operate in Belize by the Ministry and which is not in receipt of grant-in-aid from the Government; “proprietor” means, (a) in relation to a school, the person or body of persons duly recorded on the licence to operate a school, as the owner and person responsible for the management of the (b) in relation to an application for a licence to operate a school, the person or body of persons proposing to be the owners and to be responsible for the management of the school for which a licence is being sought; “PTA” means Parent Teachers’ Association; 12 “reasonable force” is the minimum force necessary to prevent a pupil from physically harming himself or others, seriously damaging property or prejudicing maintenance of good order, but used in a manner which attempts to preserve the dignity of all concerned and justifiable given the circumstances of a particular incident and the degree of force used with respect to the age, sex, physical strength, size, understanding, medical conditions and any special education needs of a student; “Register of Appointed Teachers” means a register maintained by the Commission for the purpose of recording the particulars of those teachers in possession of a Full Licence who have successfully completed a probationary period of employment; “registered pupil” or “registered student” means, in relation to any school or institution, a pupil recorded as a registered pupil or student in the register kept in accordance with rules made under this Act, but does not include any former pupil or student who has been withdrawn from the school or institution; “release” means a formal mechanism that allows a teacher, on his request, to leave employment in one management or institution so as to take up employment in another management or institution; “school” means an institution that provides preschool, primary, or secondary education; “school community liaison officer” means a person appointed under section 63 of this Act; “school year” means a period prescribed or approved as such under this Act or Rules made under this Act; “secondary school” means a school recognized by the Ministry as providing education and training suited to the ages, abilities and aptitudes of students between the ages of twelve years and eighteen years; Education and Training [CAP. 36.0113 “Secretarial” means the Belize Teaching Service Commission Secretariat established under section 16 of this Act; “semester” means a period during the school year as prescribed or approved under this Act or Rules made under this Act; “Southern Districts” means the Stann Creek and Toledo Districts; “teacher” means a person employed for the purpose of instructing students; “temporary employment” means employment for a specified period of time under conditions stipulated in a contract formulated in accordance with this Act and Rules made under this Act; “term” means a period during the school year as prescribed or approved under this Act or Rules made under this Act; “Tribunal” means the Teaching Service Appeals Tribunal established under section 19 of this Act; “TVET Council” means the National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training established under section 11 of this Act; “walking distance” means, in relation to a child who has not attained the age of eight years, two miles, and, in the case of a child eight years or older, three miles, which distance shall be measured by the nearest available route. 14