WINDSOR, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – A delegation of the highest-ranking educational officials from the country of Belize are in the Southern Tier to learn about our public school system.

A group of Belizean officials are visiting Windsor schools to learn about the district’s programming, with a focus on collaborative teaching styles and professional opportunities.

The Belize Education Ministry has rolled-out a nationwide effort to improve its education system called the BES Plan.

The plan has four key points, reforming the education system, transforming teaching and learning, prioritizing underserved populations, and maximizing human capital.

The Belizean Minster of State, Louis Zabaneh says that he has been asking a lot of questions and taking notes of ideas to take back to Belize.

The Belizean Minister of State Louis Zabaneh says, “So, in our country we’re going through a transformation of our education system. We’re moving away from the traditional way of doing education, where its a lot of content based focus and kids memorizing and regurgitating for exams.”

The delegation is in town for two days. They are stopping in various classrooms to meet with teachers and students at the high school, middle school, and Floyd Bell Elementary.

The Superintendent of Windsor, Jason Andrews says that he met members of the delegation at the Belizean embassy in Washington D.C. which sparked the idea of collaborating together.

Superintendent of Schools at Windsor Central School District, Jason Andrews says, “As we kind of move beyond the tradition of sitting at a desk and taking notes, to really trying to apply that knowledge into real life situations, that’s not unique to the United States, it’s not unique to Belize, its really about what are the skills that graduates of all schools need to be able to have to be successful in today’s world.”

Andrews says that it’s a great opportunity for Windsor to listen, learn, and apply strategies that are used in Belize.

Zabaneh extended an invitation for Andrews and the Windsor team to make the trip to the Central American country in the near future.