Although I’ve only been here for about a month, working within the schools has been an extremely eye-opening experience. First of all, the school day only lasts from 7:30am until 1:00pm and includes (at least) an hour of “recreo,” which is recess/sports hour. There aren’t enough teachers to cover all the scheduled classes, so many teachers are left instructing classes that they have no experience in. For example, the English classes I’ve been teaching were previously taught by the gym teachers who can in no way speak, write, or teach English. The students either translate words from Spanish to English in their dictionary or essentially just hang out. It seems as though their time would be better spent focusing on a subject where there was at least some sort of qualified instructor. However, I’m excited to have the opportunity to help teach some English classes and hopefully promote more active learning. Each English class I do seems to improve little by little, and the students seem engaged and interested.

Another issue I’ve noticed at the school is that there are frequently classes left without a teacher because the teacher just doesn’t show up that day. When this happens, the students play sports, hang out by themselves, or leave. Although I know it is too early to make any premature judgments, I’ve experienced multiple classes every week where a teacher is not present and students are left running around the school grounds. For example, today I went by the school and spoke with the director about starting an internet and computer class. He informed me that the school had access to about a dozen computers with internet access, but they weren’t being utilized because there was no one who could teach the students in this field. I volunteered to come in and see what kind of programs I might be able to start. I immediately became excited thinking about the possibilities to do a cultural exchange, job and career research, typing and resume preparation etc. I clearly got way too ahead of myself, because when we got into the computer room (which was covered in a solid ½ inch of dust), the director realized that the internet doesn’t actually work. Apparently they are reconstructing the internet tower that originates in Lima, so no schools involved in the state-sponsored internet program will actually have internet access until at least November. I found it hard to believe that no one knew that such a valuable resource was completely out of commission. Anyway, after my failed attempt with technology, I was called into one of the secundaria classes who were hanging out without a teacher. This seems to be a fairly accepted trend, so the students know how to entertain themselves, but clearly aren’t accomplishing any sort of academic progress.

Despite the many issues that are evident in the schools here, there are definitely teachers and students who seem genuinely interested in education, and hopefully I can partner with them to help make small improvements in the schools here. The systemic functioning of Peruvian schools may not change any time soon, but hopefully small modifications or programs can help provide the beginnings of small, positive changes.