Saturday, January 17, 2009

School in Mexico




I have now been working at La Huacana’s escuela secondaria for a week to two weeks now. The school has over 600 students in grades 7-9. Classes begin at 7 am each day.

I have learned a lot about their education system and enjoyed getting to know los maestros y estudiantes. Having worked in Public High Schools in Oregon for 8 years with very little money budgeted for classroom supplies, I see now how fortunate Oregon schools are compared to schools in Mexico. If the entire school could just have access to the supplies one U.S. Classroom contains, it would be a real treat. Standard classroom supplies might include: a couple maps, tape, dry erase board and an eraser. There are no stock piles of paper, markers, pencils, glue, educational posters, TV or audio equipment, computers, etc. Not even a pencil sharpener in the classroom (solón). I was hard pressed to even find paper clips. Teachers rely mainly on presenting a lecture with notes on the white board or students reading from an issued textbook which looked more like a workbook; not the Bible sized hardback textbooks that are common in America.

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