Private primary school of Santa Elena Town, Cayo District, Belize

Students at the United Christian School. This primary school in Santa Cruz, a suburb of Santa Elena Town, in Western Belize agriculture and recreational area is owned and financed by the Mennonite mission and has 56 children in attendance. The children do not have to be Mennonites and in fact include Salvadoraneans, Guatemalans, Belizeans, USA kids and even a Brazil child who has a father working as Director of the government San Ignacio Hospital. What sets this primary school apart from other church state schools within Belize, is they take no money from the government of Belize. Most church state primary schools in Belize, get 70% of their teachers salaries paid from the government, plus building and maintainance costs. You would call this a private primary school and the Curriculum used; is from the State of Michigan of the USA and is based on the American education system. This is the basic Christian education. The Belize government approves of it. Another unique feature is that the children to teacher ratio in the lower grades is limited to 9 students per teacher, while in the Junior High School grades, the limit is 12 students per teacher. The fee per child is $255 per year and includes books. Teaching is adjusted so that each child progresses at their own pace.