Salutations: (Should be protocol list on the podium) Hon. Eden Martinez, Minister of Human Development and Social Transformation Hon. Melvin Hulse, Minister of Public Utilities, Transport and National Emergency Management Organization Mr. Keith Henderson, Director-Project Implementation Unit of the Banana Support Programme Ministry of Education Officials Ministry of Economic Development Officials Other Government Officials Dr. Corinth Morter-Lewis, President of the University of Belize Faculty and Staff of the University of Belize Managing Authorities represented here today Principals of Primary Schools and Secondary Schools of the Stann Creek and Toledo Students and Parentsand Last but not least teachers of the Banana Belt Good Morning! What a pleasure it is for me to be in the South once again! Many of you know that I have visited the South often to tour our schools and to hold town meetings with our stakeholders. There are several reasons for this. First and foremost, I am always warmly welcomed by the people of the South who are such great hosts. Secondly, the two Southern Districts have always been thought of as the forgotten districts. Indeed, examining the statistics, certainly in education, it is hard to argue with this perception. Low enrolment rates underscore the inadequate access to education in the South; examination scores reveal issues of quality in the South; and teacher training data shows that the when it comes to percentage of trained teachers, the South lags behind. It is for this reason that the South deserves our attention and indeed my attention. So, I have visited the South often, because I enjoy the South and its people and because the South deserves to be forgotten no more! Yes, I and the Ministry of Education and Youth realized a long time ago that we need to pay special attention to the South. Today, we take yet another step towards addressing the special needs of the South. Today, we are all gathered here to launch the Banana Belt Teacher Training Programme that specifically targets primary school teachers in the Banana Belt. Our Planning Unit informs me that more than three (3)