Posted: Thursday, May 8, 2025. 6:37 am CST.
By Horace Palacio: Belizean teachers are underpaid, overworked, and undervalued. They are expected to carry the weight of the country’s future on their backs, yet many are barely earning a living wage. Government after government has promised salary reviews, but nothing meaningful has changed. The excuse is always the same: “We don’t have the money.”
But that excuse is wearing thin — because the truth is, Belize can afford to pay teachers more. What’s missing isn’t money. It’s political will, strategic focus, and basic financial discipline.
Let’s start with what everyone knows but no one in power seems willing to confront: government bloat. Belize’s public sector is loaded with inefficiencies, inflated ministries, and duplicated roles across departments. It’s no secret that “ghost workers” — individuals on the payroll who don’t actually show up to work — still exist in various ministries. A full audit of payroll across ministries could eliminate millions in waste. That money should be redirected toward increasing teacher salaries and improving schools.
Next, consider the untapped revenue sitting in unpaid land taxes. Belize has tens of thousands of landowners who have not paid property tax in years, including absentee foreign owners, speculative developers, and even politically connected elites. In many municipalities, enforcement is weak or nonexistent. By digitizing land records, issuing enforceable penalties, and creating transparent systems for collection, the government could recover millions — revenue that should be earmarked for education, not bureaucracy.
We also need to look at ministerial bloat and excessive political spending. Do we need as many ministers and CEOs? Do we need vehicle fleets and monthly travel allowances that outpace the budgets of entire classrooms? Belize’s education system is struggling while political offices remain comfortably funded. Priorities are clearly misaligned.
Compare this to countries like Estonia and Costa Rica, where lean government operations and smart digital systems have freed up resources for real public investment. In Estonia, e-governance has dramatically reduced administrative overhead, while Costa Rica redirected unnecessary public spending to health and education, allowing it to maintain one of the best literacy rates in Latin America.
In Belize, we continue to reward inefficiency at the top while punishing performance at the bottom. Teachers are expected to show up, do more with less, and inspire children while barely making enough to support their own families. It is unsustainable — and unfair.
Here’s the solution:
- Audit every ministry for ghost workers and duplicate roles
- Digitize and enforce collection of all outstanding land taxes
- Cap excessive political allowances and redirect savings to education
- Freeze non-essential hires and invest in teacher salaries instead
- Tie teacher performance incentives to real outcomes, not just tenure
We don’t need higher taxes. We need higher standards of fiscal responsibility.
Because if Belize can afford luxury SUVs for ministers, it can afford chalk, laptops, and better pay for the people who actually build the country — our teachers.
And if we don’t start investing in teachers now, we will pay a far higher price later — in ignorance, inequality, and generations of potential lost to neglect.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author, Horace Palacio, and do not necessarily reflect the views or editorial stance of Breaking Belize News.
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The post Belize can afford to pay teachers more — Here’s how appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Belizean teachers are underpaid, overworked, and undervalued. They are expected to carry the weight of the country’s future on their backs, yet many are barely earning a living wage. Government after government has promised salary reviews, but nothing meaningful has changed. The excuse is always the same: “We don’t have the money.”
The post Belize can afford to pay teachers more — Here’s how appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.