Schools: Elba Zamora

This is the school I have been working in the past two weeks. Elba Zamora is the smallest of the four schools we work with having 3 class rooms and with about 70 pupils. Approx. 30 preschool are in Room 1, 25 grades 1 and 2 share Room 2 and finally 20 pupils in grades 3,4,5,6 share Room 3. All the schools look similar having been built by the Japonese government about 15 years ago. Before construction this school was a single wooden room with dirt floor. Since being built many of the schools have suffered significant disrepair and La Esperanza has carried out many updates on the schools themselves.

A team of 4 volunteers help the 3 teachers on site by individually tutoring children in grades 1 and 2 and working in preschool with the teacher. There is also a visiting english class once a week for the older kids and a visiting volunteer music teacher.

Generally the kids are pretty good and enjoy the extra attention given. The school starts at 7am and should continue 'till midday but this rarely happens as there is generally an excuse to close early. This Thurday for example we closed early for Valentines Day! Whilst this sounds quite strange it didn't really effect us that much as half the school wasn't present that day. Most of the children are some how related to each other and Thursday the upper grades teacher had an exam which meant no school at all for the grades 3,4,5,6 and as many have brothers and sisters in the lower grades they didn't come either. Attendance is an issue.

This morning as I was trying to teach the school filled with acrid smoke as the kids burnt all the school yard rubbish, in the school yard, just next to the swings as the kids continued to play! (see photo with fire just behind cheeky child). Heath and safety execs from home would be wetting their pants on a daily basis but here no pasa nada. Its just another one of those things which goes to make each day slightly different from the other!