Service to be unbroken

(5) No teacher shall be entitled to a pension, gratuity or other allowance in respect of any service performed while under the age of eighteen years. (6) For the purposes of this Act, service under the Pensions Act, Cap. 30 shall be regarded as service as a teacher. 7.-(1) Subject to subsections (2), (3), (4) and (5) of this section, the service in respect of which a pension will be granted shall (2) Service prior to a break of service may be allowed to count for pension where the service has been interrupted by abolition of office or other temporary suspension of employment not arising from misconduct or voluntary resignation of the teacher. (3) Any period during which a teacher absent on leave from Belize, has, with the consent of the Governor-General, served with the Belize Defence Force or in any other capacity connected with a state of war, during the first or second world wars, may, with the approval of the Governor-General, be counted as service on full pay. (4) Service under the Teachers’ Provident Fund Ordinance, Chapter 77, R. L. 1958, may count as service under this Act if the teacher surrenders any benefits which may have accrued to him under that Ordinance and if he gives notice in writing to the Chief Education Officer within twelve months of the coming into operation of this Act that he elects to come under this Act. (5) Any period during which a teacher, with the approval of the Minister, served in a school other than a designated school, shall not be considered as a break in service but shall not, subject to section 9, count as pensionable service. (6) The period during which a teacher has been absent on vacation leave on full pay shall, in all circumstances, be 8 counted in full towards the qualifying period laid down in section 6(1) and (2) of this Act, and any period during which the teacher has been absent on leave on half pay otherwise than for disciplinary action shall be similarly counted at the rate of one month for every two months of such period. No period during which a teacher has been absent from duty on leave without salary shall be taken into account as pensionable service unless such leave shall have been granted on grounds of public policy with the approval of the Governor-General. (7) “Approved service” not covered by the Teachers’ Provident Fund Ordinance, Chapter 77, R. L. 1958, may count as service under this Act.