International schools in Belize

International schools can be an ideal solution for expat students (heads of multinational corporations, children of diplomats, NGO staff) in Belize. There may be a local population, but the schools are designed for international students. Schools generally follow the curriculum model from the US, UK, France, Canada, or Australia / New Zealand. Initial instruction can be in any language (and is usually taught in multiple languages), but it is usually taught in English, French, Spanish, German, or Japanese.

Many schools around the world provide similar teaching standards, ensuring easy transition between schools, whether in France or Vietnam. Schools often provide internationally recognized accreditation such as the International Baccalaureate.

Admission and other procedures are different which depends on the school. Seats are often limited and preference may be given to students of nationality. Tuition is generally expensive according to local standards but offers high teaching standards, smaller class sizes, first-class facilities, and extra-curricular activities. Some schools have boarding schools, but most of them only offer daytime classes.

The Belize school system is a loose collection of educational subsystems. As a rule, based on the British curriculum, it is divided into three levels: primary education (8 years), 6 standards, 4 forms of secondary education. Education in Belize is compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 14 to complete primary education. Primary education is free, but associated costs such as school uniforms, textbooks, and annual tuition fees are a financial burden on poor families. The increase in the number of international schools is a response to the relocation of a number of expatriate families to the country.

Accreditation

The CoIS (Council of International Schools) is a non-profit association of international schools and higher education institutions that provides educational accreditation, recruitment of teachers and service leaders, links to higher education, management assistance, and assistance in starting new schools. Quality Schools International (QSI) is a group of non-profit international schools offering instruction in English.

QSI International School of Belize

QSI International School of Belize is part of Quality Schools International, a private, global, non-profit international school system. QSI Belize opened in August 2011. It offers high-quality education in English for preschoolers, elementary and high school students. The warm and welcoming school and community create the ideal environment for quality education.

It provides an aesthetically pleasing environment, thoughtful teaching, and the best resources and technology for our classrooms. As the only international school in Belmopan, it serves the students whose families are associated with embassies, government and non-governmental organizations, international companies, foreigners, and local families.

Almost every five-year-old comes to school to study. Quality Schools International (QSI )’s mission is to support this commitment to learning from every child in QSI schools. The QSI schools are built to provide quality English-language education to students in the cities they serve. These students are children of parents of many nationalities who have come to another country, usually with a limited stay of one year or more. A number of students can be either permanent residents or citizens of the country.

The schools follow a logical educational model that measures success by the achievements and attitudes of its students. They believe that all of their students can succeed, that their successes motivate them to continue successful lifestyles, and that schools are responsible for creating the conditions for success. These conditions include:

1) developing clear and measurable statements of what the student will do in order to demonstrate mastery of the teaching,

2) providing the time and resources that each student needs to achieve mastery, and

3) ensuring that learners participate in learning at a level that is challenging but at the same time a level at which each learner has the necessary skills needed to succeed.

The school believes in creating an aesthetically pleasing physical environment under the guidance of caring staff who believe their students will succeed, and who use time with students as a resource for studying rather than an obligatory thing to determine when the learning time begins and ends. They believe in the need to provide resources such as books, teaching materials, and educational technology. In today’s world, children need to learn how to use computers and related technologies as tools for many tasks.

Finally, they believe in working with parents to encourage their students to internalize the qualities of life that lead to success long after formal schooling ends. These include generally accepted “success orientations”: reliability, kindness/courtesy, responsibility, independence, concern for others, group interaction, and aesthetic appreciation.

Peninsula International Academy in Belize

Peninsula International Academy is redefining excellence in Belize by innovating and bridging inequalities. PIA is committed to empowering students to understand the world around them and their talents so that they can become fulfilling individuals and active, compassionate citizens.

Real-world learning, student voice, and a recommendation system are part of what makes PIA an innovative student-centered school. The school combines Belize and Common Core education standards.

PIA prides itself on being part of South Stann Creek Sustainable Development by providing cheap or free tuition to 1 in every 3 of their Belize students, providing teacher training, and offering Belize education leaders the opportunity to share their student-centered practices.

PIA offers a student-centered environment with hard work of students focused on mastering core academic content, supported by project-based learning, with multiple opportunities provided for critical thinking, work, and collaboration. Personalized learning with a credible score is provided through relationship-based one-to-one learning.

As a small, multi-level, alternative school, PIA is a useful resource for improving the educational climate in their peninsula and in the wider community of South Stann Creek, Belize.

The students engage in project-based learning and receive a credible assessment with an emphasis on learning in the real world and in the real world. Moreover, effective teaching methods are associated with faster and more equitable economic growth, more inclusive and cohesive societies, and social transformations.

The shared mission is to energize the potential of learners, schools, systems and education through learner-centered learning in the real world. In short, they are activists at the individual, school and national levels.

At PIA, culture is not a means to an end, but an end in itself. There is tangible trust, respect and equality among students and adults. Students take on leadership roles in the school, and teamwork defines the culture of adults. Visitors are amazed at the ease with which students communicate with adults.

Part 3 is here.

Before introducing this article, if you are interested in our core services which are expat financial, insurance and mortgages, you can contact me here. 

The best time to consider your financial situation is when you are moving to a new country.

Introduction

In Central America, there is a mysterious country in which, as legends say, there are almost no taxes, the best ecotourism on the planet, the second largest coral reef in the world, and almost no government interference in the affairs of foreigners.

In Central America, Belize is the only English-speaking country and is arguably the most stable country in the region. It is an ecological wonder with endless beaches, organic farms, hundreds of rivers, and mysterious jungles of uncharted wilderness.

Belize is a chic vacation spot. The population density is only 17.2 people per square kilometer, which means that it is one of the least densely populated countries on the planet. You can be practically alone on the beach.

Plus, Belize is one of the least known offshore tax havens on the planet. It is the latest lucrative stronghold for offshore investment, banking, and tax planning.

Belize is heaven on earth. You can enjoy long morning walks along the beaches of San Pedro, and on weekends we can sip exotic cocktails, meet people from all over the world, and snorkel along the coral reefs of Belize.

Sometimes you might miss the big city vibe, so we hop on the boat and sail to Chetumal on the Mexican side of the border. It is a small town but has excellent shopping malls and restaurants. You can enjoy a few days of mind-blowing shopping at lower prices than in Europe, full of seafood at incredible prices, and access to the cultural wealth of Mayan ruins in the city.

And if you want something more, you can hop on a plane and be in Miami or Panama City in less than two hours.

From a security point of view, the main problem in Belize is drug trafficking. This means that the city of Belize is a hotspot for organized crime and we do not recommend spending too much time there unless you are going to the airport or need to travel to the state. institution.

Apart from this city, the territory of the country is incredibly safe. San Pedro is an island west of the mainland of Belize, which is not only physically separated from the continent but also devoid of its problems: poverty and crime. The island is a summer tourist destination and is home to a sizable expat community, which means there are so few security concerns.

But the best thing about Belize is its freedom, especially in places like San Pedro. The government and tax authorities will not bother you, there is almost no police force, and your freedoms will not be subject to any restrictions. You have come to Belize to relax and the government will not change that. No foreign exchange controls, taxes, government interference, or major restrictions on doing business.

In addition, you have at your disposal some of the best offshore banks in Latin America offering wealth management services to foreigners.

So, if you are reading this article, it means that you are already planning your life in Belize and thinking about your financial activities there. Belize is not yet a fun country. Independent Belize is only 30 years old. Small towns, tourist centers, and hotels in Belize are mostly normal. You can safely come to Belize with children and relax.

But in the big cities of Belize like San Pedro, there is a chance that you could get mugged, especially at night, if you walk alone in the wrong place. Night walks in any city in Belize can be safer if you are in a group, car, or taxi. Belize, like any developing country, has its own criminal world, with which it is better not to intersect.

There are also drug gangs, despite the fact that crimes in this area are severely punished in Belize. A few years ago, a tourist police appeared in Belize, but they do not yet speak everywhere about the complete and round-the-clock safety of tourists in Belize.

As for road safety, that is, there are roads that cannot be driven in the rainy season, or you can, but only in an SUV. Despite the lack of traffic lights, cars are rented in Belize. All you need is a credit card and an international driving license. What products of the offshore industry can be found in Belize?

Hurricanes do happen in Belize during the rainy season and 24/7 business registration in Belize during the monsoons can never be fully guaranteed.

Hurricanes can cause a loss of communication in Belize for 3-4 days. If you want to avoid a threat to your safety from the weather, it is best to come to Belize between November and May. Hotels can cost more, but you will see Belize in all its glory.

In any case, you should get insurance before moving to Belize, especially if you are an extreme hobbyist and want to explore Belize caves or climb rocks – you have found this place. In case something happens to you in the mountains, but you have insurance, the country will provide you with free treatment.

On the other hand, when you move to Belize with your family and children, you have to think about their education. Usually, expats prefer international schools than local schools for their kids, as these schools can give better qualifications and develop key skills. To make the searches easier, below we will tell you about the top best international schools located in Belize.

Education in Belize

Education in Belize is based on a loose confederation of school subsystems, and the biggest part follows the British education model. In Belize, the school system can be divided into five sectors:

• early childhood education,
• primary school,
• high school,
• tertiary education (junior colleges),
• adult and continuing education.

The University College of Belize is the hugest educational institution in the country. Belize contributes to the University of the West Indies, which operates a small correspondence department in Belize City. Different institutions of higher education in Belize are the Belize School of Nursing, the Belize Agricultural School, and the Belize College of Education. Only a small percentage of Belizeans receive any post-secondary education.

Education is obligatory for children aged between 5 – 14. Religious denominations rule most of the elementary schools, which had 47,200 students in the early 1990s. Religious institutions operated most of the secondary schools until the 1980s, when expanded public schools began to enroll over 50 percent of students. In the 1990s, there were about 8,900 students in secondary schools.

The Ministry of Education and Sports is in charge of the school system in Belize. The ministry works with volunteer organizations and church schools to ensure that all Belizeans “have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to fully and actively participate in the development of the nation.”

Higher education opportunities in Belize are extremely limited. Several scholarships are available for other universities, so a number of Belizeans got scholarships at Cuban universities in the 1980s. Later in the 80s, Peace Scholarships in Central America were awarded to the locals, which gave them the chance to attend colleges and universities in the United States.

Part 2 is here.