Education
The Belizean education system is largely inspired by the British system, with a dose of the American way, particularly where assessments are concerned. It comprises four levels: pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary. There are two years of pre-primary education, eight years of primary education and four years of secondary education. After graduating from high school, students can continue their studies at associate or bachelor's level at a university, or they can earn an associate's degree at a college and transfer the credits into a bachelor's program at a university. Three types of educational institutions operate in Belize: government, government-subsidized and private. Government schools are owned and funded by the government. Government-subsidized schools are schools owned either by a religious denomination or by a community group that receives government funding in the form of subsidies for school services or direct payment of teachers' salaries. Private schools, on the other hand, are owned and funded by individuals, churches or private groups. Education is compulsory for children aged 5 to 14. Public and subsidized primary and secondary schools are free. Private schools are fee-paying, and the quality of their teaching is often highlighted by the quality of the teachers they employ and the high-quality facilities they offer. Notwithstanding free public schools, a sizeable percentage of students drop out for economic reasons: family support, cost of uniforms or supplies, among others. Since 2017, the country's government has been making great efforts to improve teacher training, with over 75% of teachers now trained to the profession, compared with just 50% in 2017. Today, 95% of the population aged 14 and over can officially read and write.
Wealth distribution and poverty
During the first quarter of 2020, the Statistical Institute of Belize, with the help of Statistics Canada, undertook a poverty survey, using information collected from households in 2018-19. The last comprehensive poverty survey dated back to 2009, so the aim of this study was to produce updated statistics. The findings were quite clear: Belize's poor population has risen from 41% to 52% in 10 years (201,616 people in 2019 versus 136,640 in 2009). Beyond this less than optimistic figure, there is a wide disparity, both ethnic (77% of Mayans are considered poor) and age-related (60% of 0-14 year-olds). The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly aggravated the situation, which has only just begun to stabilize in 2023. GDP growth is significant, thanks to the once again flourishing tourism sector, but as is often the case, we'll have to wait for the distribution of wealth to recover or improve.
Human rights
Significant human rights shortcomings are to be noted, particularly in the treatment of security and prison officials, arbitrary arrests and detentions, and the refoulement of refugees to a country where their lives and freedom would be threatened. Corruption is often at the root of these problems, and the government has taken steps to prosecute certain public officials who have committed abuses, but few prosecutions have been successful. The government has not effectively enforced anti-corruption laws, and public officials often engage in corruption with impunity even today.
Public health
Public health and pensions are financed, as is often the case, by contributions paid by employers and employees. An employee can receive sick pay for a maximum of 273 days, but you have to have a declared job to benefit from it, which is not always the case in the country... Maternity leave provides 14 weeks' rest for mothers and none for fathers. As far as pensions are concerned, those who have contributed receive a monthly payment from the age of 65, whether or not they continue to work; those who have not participated in the contribution system may be entitled to a one-off payment on request. For some, this retirement pension follows on from a disability pension. Every major city in the country has a government-run hospital, and every medium-sized town has fairly efficient, albeit chronically under-resourced, public health centers.
LGBTQI+ rights
Belize made headlines in 2016 by being the first former British Caribbean colony to repeal its anti-sodomy law. It was a relic of colonial times that effectively criminalized LGBTQI+ relationships. The law, though not often enforced, created a climate of intolerance towards gay and lesbian Belizeans. As a result, many kept their sexuality a secret for many years. Today, although life can be difficult for locals who are part of the LGBTQI+ community, Belize is a popular destination for foreign travelers who are. Tourism in Belize has long been gay-friendly. San Pedro - and Ambergris Island in general - receives many LGBTQI+ visitors, and more and more establishments are finally openly gay friendly.
Gangs and violence
Belize is a generally safe country for travelers, as long as they stay away from certain well-known and well-defined areas of Belize City, where violent gangs battle for control of the drug trade, among other illegal activities. The gang warfare that takes place in these areas is modelled in every way on that of Los Angeles' notorious Bloods and Crips, and the government is doing its utmost to deal with this extremely complex problem, one of the main causes of which is the great poverty of the inhabitants of these neighbourhoods, combined with their proximity to countries where drug trafficking is rife, such as Mexico and Guatemala.
