Holy Cross Anglican School, north of San Pedro Town in the San Mateo area, is set to launch a new evening program on October 20, 2025, designed to meet the needs of children currently left on waiting lists due to overcrowded classrooms. This initiative, known as the Second Chance After-School Program, will offer learning opportunities to up to 40 students in Infant I, Infant II, and Standard I, introducing a shift system approach to provide learning opportunities, pioneering a shift system approach unique to the island’s education landscape. Sessions will run Monday to Friday from 3:30PM to 5:30PM, offering daily lessons in English, mathematics, and integrated subjects for students ages five to ten.
The program is a response to persistent enrollment bottlenecks that have prevented many children from accessing formal education. “We’re aiming at an additional three classrooms, which would be from Infant I, Infant II, and Standard I, because since the start of the school year, we have had a lot of students on waiting lists waiting for a space. Now we’re already mid, almost coming close to the first cycle ending, and some students are still not in a class,” said Principal Elsy Torres. The school has secured stipends for teachers willing to lead these evening sessions, ensuring that students in the new time slot receive the same quality of education as those attending in the morning.
Historically, the lack of classroom space has contributed to educational gaps for primary-aged children in San Pedro. The Second Chance After-School Program aims to bridge this divide by providing daily, structured instruction in literacy and numeracy, core skills essential for reintegration into the regular school system. Before this initiative, many children without placements were at risk of falling behind their peers or being left out entirely due to limited resources and support.
Commenting on the innovative approach, Principal Torres highlighted the benefits for both staff and students. “We sought assistance for stipends to be paid to teachers who take on these additional sessions. The students will have the same experience as they have in the morning sessions, only that they will be coming in the evenings. We might be the first school to have that shift system,” she said. The evening shift also allows teachers to supplement their income while expanding access to structured, supervised after-school learning environments.
School officials hope the program will serve as a model for broader adoption on the island and across Belize. Expected outcomes include improved literacy and math proficiency, safer after-school care, and a pathway for reintegrating out-of-school children into the formal education system. If successful, Holy Cross Anglican’s evening program could become a benchmark for addressing classroom shortages on the island.
Those wishing to support or enroll in the Second Chance After-School Program may contact Holy Cross Anglican School at 226-3456, via WhatsApp at 627-2753, or by email at [email protected]. The school office is open from 8:30AM to 3:30PM. Limited space is available.
