So since
I’ve been in Costa Rica for a while and have failed to mention this, I will
now. The public school teachers here in Cost Rica are on strike and have been
for... almost 4 weeks. I know what you’re thinking, “How are you visiting
schools if the teachers are on strike?” Well let me inform you because it’s
been quite difficult.
The first
school we visited was Calle Hernandez Primary School which has its own post so
feel free to read all about it, but we were only able to visit Tuesday when we
were scheduled to visit Tuesday and Friday. However, even with the school being
“open” Tuesday, there were only about four teachers in the building (Special
Education, Physical Education, 5th Grade, and English-- Dina
Villalobos, who we came to work with) so obviously not much was getting
accomplished anyways.
The next
school we visited was Escuela Altos de San Luis which is a teeny tiny school
with approximately 20 to 25 students and has one man, Don Angel acting as the
teacher, principal, law--- everything. So since he is the only one and truly
values the education for his students he has been there teaching them or if
anything allowing them a place to go while their parents work all day.
Now let me
tell you why the teachers are on strike—or at least I will tell you to the best
of my understanding (don’t worry, I’ve attached an article for those that need
to know the EXACT details *cough* Grandma *cough*). So on May 8th,
there was a change in presidency and Laura Chinchilla left office and Costa Rica welcomed their new
president, Luis Guillermo Solis.
Okay so in Costa Rica there is no military, so all the money that normally goes
to the military goes to public education--- AWESOME! Anyways, in January, the
minister of education (who is no longer the minister of education) signed a
document saying that these funds that go towards public education and the money
for teacher’s salaries would go to the President Chinchilla instead (I’m sure the minister
of Education wasn’t going to walk away empty handed though either). So from
January to May the teachers in public education here haven’t been paid.
Therefore, they are on strike which is totally understandable…
HOWEVER
I think I
can speak for everyone in education when I say you don’t become a teacher for
the pay. Yes, I can see how it stinks to not get your monthly paycheck. I can
most definitely see that. However, there is a bigger picture these teachers are
avoiding. They are depriving their students of an education. Education—the one
thing everyone is privileged to have and they are refusing to step foot on
school grounds and help children because they aren’t receiving pay. It honestly
makes my stomach hurt. How much longer do they plan on avoiding their teaching
duties? Will their students have to repeat this grade? How much longer will the
strike go on and what is their government doing to stop it?
These are
the questions I have so… when I figure out the answers I’ll let you know, but I
thought I’d inform y’all of the great happenings here in the big CR. Besos
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