Education and Filet Mignon

Today was a relaxed day. Slept in a bit, a leisurely breakfast, visited the market, and got a first class haircut for six bucks. Took an hour to pack for the Amazon, watched some Tour de France with Spanish commentators, and had a short nap.

At 5:00 we met with a bilingual educator who is in on some cutting edge reforms in the Ecuadorian education system. A very interesting presentation, with some thoughtful questions from the group. It looks like bilingual education here is moving in a direction that is very different from that of the United States. The new system is driven by individual mastery of concepts and units, allowing each child to advance or receive remediation at his or her own pace. Students are not limited to a specific timetable and teachers take on the role of facilitator, concentrating mostly on the most needy students. Like any system, they are negatives. There seems to be less support for very high achieving students and those on the opposite end of the spectrum. The units (or workbooks) must usually be purchased by the student and can cost as much as 15 dollars, which is a significant sum of money here. This is compounded by the cost of uniforms and access to school supplies that many students in the United States take for granted.

The country also faces a shortage of dedicated and passionate teachers. Like anywhere, there will always be people who teach because the privilege of working with young learners is unlike any other privilege one could experience as a job, but teaching here is often viewed as a last resort when no other jobs could be found. Starting salaries usually start around 250$ a month, which is payed by the government. Rural areas, with limited road access and amenities, are especially difficult to populate with teachers. The government has promised to deliver as many 12,000 new teachers in the next few years, but in reality, upwards of 30,000 teachers or more are needed to adequately staff the education system.

After dinner, we invited our guest speaker and his family to stay with us at the hotel and eat dinner with us. All 20 of us went to an Argentinian restaurant; it was phenomenal. Although the wine was overpriced, it was difficult to complain about a pound of expertly prepared, buttery smooth filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus for with 8.50! It was a wonderfully warm atmosphere with great food, friends, and conversation.

Tomorrow entails an early morning and breakfast, followed by a bus, plain, and motorized canoe ride into the Amazon.