Belize is a small state of the Commonwealth with a population of about 360,000. Much of the country’s natural environment is unspoilt, and there is strong emphasis on environmental education.  

School-age Population by Education Level1

47,046

 

38,225

Secondary

 

Tertiary

 

 

Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Secondary Education
for the school year ending 20181

87.1%

 

83.7%

Female

 

Male

 

 

Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Tertiary Education
for the school year ending 20171

30.5%

 

18.8%

Female

 

Male

 

 

Percentage of female teachers in 1

62.9%

 

51.6%

Secondary (2018)

 

Tertiary (2017)

 

 

1. UNESCO Institute for Statistics Data Centre, retrieved in March 2020

 

Literacy rate (2012)1

n/a

 

n/a

Adult (15+) literacy rate
Female

 

Adult (15+) literacy rate
Male

 

 

Economic Activity (2014)1

47%

 

81%

Adult (15+) economic activity
Female

 

Adult (15+) economic activity
Male

 

 

Political Decision Making (2014)1

3%

Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

 

 

Life expectancy (2012)1

78

 

72

Female

 

Male

 

 

1. COL gender country profile April 2015 

 

5.4 85.5
Fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants1 Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants1

 

 

  
6.4 38
Fixed-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants1 Mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants1

 

 

  
36.7 47.1
Households with a computer (%)1 Individuals using the internet (%)1

 

 

1. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ICT Eye Country profile, retrieved in March 2020

 

Highlights

The Commonwealth of Learning’s (COL) work in Belize is primarily in the areas of open/innovative schooling and tertiary education, through the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth.

Open/Innovative schooling

Open/Innovative Schooling is a supplementary or complementary model of schooling which uses a range of flexible approaches, based on open and distance learning, to provide structured teaching and learning opportunities. It focuses on training teachers in eLearning, using open educational resources (OER), improving the management of open schools and supporting the use of appropriate technologies in teaching and learning. COL is working with the Belize Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture to expand open schooling in the country. COL’s support in Belize will have a special focus on out-of-school youth, however, it is anticipated that the project will also impact mainstream schools, improving throughput and reducing dropout rates. Learn more about the Open/Innovative Schooling initiative.

Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth

Belize is a member of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC). Initiated by and built on the support of Ministers of Education of developing small states of the Commonwealth, VUSSC supports the collaborative development and sharing of open educational resources (OER) to promote learning for sustainable development. Learn more about the VUSSC initiative.

Partners

Partnerships are fundamental to COL’s work. Strategic partnerships allow COL to broaden its reach and engage at global, regional and national levels, while implementation partners support COL’s work in communities and institutions across Commonwealth Member States. Partners include multilateral organisations, regional bodies, national governments, government agencies, foundations, civil society organisations, public and private (not-for-profit) institutions and the private sector.

COL’s partners in Belize include the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture.