Teach them to plant! Why Agriculture could transform Belize’s schools and future

By Zoila Palma:  As Belize looks toward a future of greater food security, entrepreneurship and economic resilience, agriculture should be given a much stronger place in the secondary school system.

Every high school student should have the opportunity to learn how to plant, cultivate, harvest and care for crops—not simply as a school subject, but as a practical life and business skill.

Teaching agriculture can help young Belizeans understand where their food comes from while developing skills that can become sources of income.

Students can learn vegetable production, livestock rearing, soil management, composting, irrigation, greenhouse farming, aquaculture and even the business side of agriculture.

Such knowledge can encourage young people to see farming not as an outdated occupation, but as a modern industry with opportunities in food production, agribusiness, technology and entrepreneurship. Belize’s education planning has previously identified the reintroduction of gardening and agriculture into primary and secondary education as a way to better connect education with the country’s needs.

An excellent example of this demonstrating what is possible is Mopan Technical High School in Benque Viejo del Carmen.

 Its agriculture program provides students with hands-on experience in areas including soil and organic-matter management, planting, crop care, harvesting, greenhouse production and animal husbandry.

Mopan’s model demonstrates that agriculture education can extend far beyond a classroom.

The school has historically utilized its campus for agricultural activities, including crop fields, greenhouses, poultry and pig production and aquaculture.

Students have also participated in community activities such as World Food Day, giving tours and providing plant seedlings. The school’s own history notes that it was among the first high schools in Belize to enter students in CXC Agriculture examinations.

Imagine if more high schools across Belize had productive school farms.

Students could grow vegetables used in their school feeding programs, raise chickens or fish, learn to propagate fruit trees and sell surplus produce to help finance school projects.

Every Belizean eats, and every Belizean benefits when the country can produce more of its own food.

If Belize wants a generation that is more self-sufficient, entrepreneurial and prepared for the challenges of food security and climate change, our high schools should be teaching young people not only how to pass exams, but also how to grow something, produce something and build something of their own.

The post Teach them to plant! Why Agriculture could transform Belize’s schools and future appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.