Pension payable on retirement or abolition of office

(1) Every teacher who has occupied for not less than ten years the position of a teacher in any designated school and who has attained the age of fifty-five years may on his retirement be granted a pension as provided in this Act, but a teacher who has attained the age of fifty years may in special cases with the approval of the Governor-General be allowed to retire. (2) Every teacher who has served for a period of ten years or upwards as a teacher in any designated school and has become on medical evidence to the satisfaction of the Minister incapable by reason of infirmity of mind or body of continuing to teach in a designated school efficiently and that such infirmity is likely to be permanent may likewise be granted on his retirement a pension as provided for in this Act. (3) If a teacher in teaching service in Belize ceases to be a teacher in consequence of the abolition or re-organisation of any office, he may be granted a temporary pension, subject to the condition that he shall hold himself ready to be recalled to teaching service in a post which shall not be less in value than that held by the teacher immediately before he ceased to be a (4) If a teacher as mentioned in subsection (3) of this section, is not qualified for further employment in the teaching service or if there is no reason, in the opinion of the Governor- General, to expect that he can be re-employed in teaching service, a pension may be granted to him free from the above- mentioned condition.