BajaNomad

Schools and distance

Osprey - 1-14-2007 at 04:18 PM

Baja Bucko's post on the boarding school in Mulege got me to thinking about the education system here in the outback. In Baja Sur there are 5 "Albercas", pools, boading houses for students. The school system is unable to go out to the many small ranchos to pick up and drop off students every day so 4 of the "internados" down here exist to house kids from Monday night to Thursday night (bed/board/showers/games) when their folks pick them back up so they stay in town during the week, return to their homes on the weekends. The government pays part, the parents pay a small amount, the kids walk to and from the nearest local schools. Only one internado is a school/boarding house combination. The system must be working because Mexico enjoys just over 92% literacy rating. In this system the younger kids live with older kids so internado kids grow up very fast; run faster, fight harder, grow tough, resilient skin and attitudes. We local gringos support the internados when we can (they get some of the food fish my neighbors and I catch occasionally and the kids really show their appreciation when we deliver foodstuff or treats).

bajajudy - 1-14-2007 at 06:11 PM

Osprey

It does seem to work. If you travel off road, you will see remnants of the schools these kids used to attend. It must have gotten to be very expensive to run all those small schools and they devised this new system where the kids live in the school. From what I have seen, without community support, these kids suffer.

We save our small shampoos, creams, etc from hotel and give them to the children here. Old bed linens and blankets are also appreciated.

Good idea to encourage people to help with these schools, dont you think, Osprey.

tim40 - 1-16-2007 at 08:51 PM

Is there a specific place to make such donations?

fdt - 1-16-2007 at 11:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Osprey
In Baja Sur there are 5 "Albercas", pools, boading houses for students.

According to the state secretary of education for baja California Sur there are 28, and they are called Albergue, that means shelter.
http://www.sepbcs.gob.mx/

FARASHA - 1-16-2007 at 11:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by tim40
Is there a specific place to make such donations?


That was just my thought too, after I read Osprey's post.
But what would make sense?

Yes, there is a way to donate

fdt - 1-17-2007 at 08:57 AM

on the site I posted above, for the state secretary of education, if you look on the right hand side you see a link for Albergues and within that link it talks about what they need and what they have, theire weaknesses and strengths. Yes, it's in spanish. There is a phone number and email

COORDINACIÓN DEL ALBERGUES ESCOLARES EN BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR.




1. Albergues Escolares en Baja California Sur.

1.4 Debilidades y Fortalezas.

DEBILIDADES. Dada la trascendencia social de estas instituciones, el Gobierno Federal y Estatal, a través de la Secretaría de Educación Pública de Baja California Sur, se han empeñado en apoyarlas con los recursos necesarios para su debido funcionamiento; sin embargo, dados los rezagos históricos que estos centros asistenciales tienen actualmente, se presentan en forma recurrente los problemas siguientes:

· Escaso presupuesto para el mantenimiento, tanto de los espacios físicos, como del equipamiento.

· Limitada instalación de energía solar, cuya capacidad no permite el funcionamiento de aparatos electrodomésticos.

· Falta de talleres y equipamiento para proporcionar una debida inducción en la capacitación del trabajo.

· El abastecimiento del agua potable, en algunos casos no está disponible por lo que se hace necesario atenderse lo que mas ocasiona gastos.

· Falta de remodelaciones a los edificios actuales.

· Urge contar con disponibilidad de mayor cantidad de plazas, tanto de cocineras, como de trabajadora social, a fin de poder ofertar un servicio más eficaz y completo en los albergues.

· La falta de doble plaza para los administradores, que cuentan solamente con una, dado que su trabajo comprende las 24 hrs. atendiendo a los alumnos de la educación con diferentes necesidades e intereses.

· En la mayoría de los albergues escolares no se cuenta con anexos deportivos para inculcar las prácticas de alguna disciplina. El deporte es necesario ya que ayuda en la formación integral de los individuos.

FORTALEZAS. La falta de recursos no debe ser un obstáculo para el buen funcionamiento de los albergues escolares, aunque reconocemos que son pieza fundamental para estos, estamos de acuerdo en que la buena aplicación de los recursos existentes es lo que hace la diferencia de calidad.

Si pretendemos brindar una asistencia de calidad que facilite la eficiencia de la educación básica de los alumnos provenientes de zonas dispersas y marginadas, será necesario sumar esfuerzos que nos lleven a la meta, donde es meritorio destacar las fortalezas presentes para esta importante labor:

· La disposición y la cooperación para el trabajo de todos los miembros pertenecientes a este gremio.

· Programas de aprovechamiento para los espacios libres de los alumnos atendidos en cada albergue escolar, para llevarlos a la práctica de manera eficaz y oportuna.

· Los espacios permanentes para promover la capacitación del personal adscrito a efecto de brindar una atención asistencial de mayor calidad. Esto, el objetivo compartido de mejorar y elevar la calidad de la Educación Básica.

· La comunicación interna, fundamental para el reparto equitativo de los recursos.

· La búsqueda y canalización de donativos en todo el Estado, que día con día se suman más apoyos, esto como consecuencia del trabajo destacable y exitoso de los albergues escolares.

. La atención que se brinda a estos jóvenes, descansa en una entrega profesional y una ética de comportamiento con sentido humano, capaz de otorgar asistencia confiable y segura por parte de los maestros administradores, docentes normalistas titulados, de estado civil casados y con un alto espíritu de servicio.

from Loreto's newsletters

Don Alley - 1-17-2007 at 09:10 AM

Quote:

This year, this very popular event will be held at the Internado School in Colonia Zaragoza on 24 January 2007, commencing at 8:00 AM.


BAKE SALE:
The most popular stall every year! Our coordinator will be Barbara Aiken (135-2190). Anyone willing to help her with this activity by providing baked goods for sale (cakes, cookies, tarts, cupcakes, etc., etc.), please give her a call. We REALLLLLY need donors for this.

HOT DOG STAND:
Always a favorite - Alvin and Connie, from Juncalito, will be on hand to turn out delicious hot dogs, with all the trimmings, as well as coffee and hot drinks for the kids. Anyone wishing to contibute to this effort is greatly appreciated.

SALE SPACES:
People wishing to sell items on their own behalf are welcome. Space rental is $100 (pesos). By law, 10% of gross sales must be donated to the Internado. Good opportunity to have an early, profitable spring cleaning.

THE "BIG TENT":
All of the items donated through the year and collected until now to benefit the 70 children of the Internado will be on sale in the dining hall of the school: books, dvds, cds, clothing, electronics, electric gadgets, toys, games, kitchenware, furniture, bedding, fishing gear, automotive stuff ...and on.....and on.....and on. As long as you are spring cleaning, you might want to consider donating things to us to sell to help our work with the Internado. If you are at the south end of our area, Linda Nichols in Nopolo (133-0635) would be happy to accept your donations; for those of you who live in town or north of Loreto, Patty Ferrentino (135-0308) will gladly accept your gifts. We make one big request - that donated goods be clean, in good repair, and not be old magazines from another era. We are happy to help recycle, to
benefit our children, to benefit the community, but not to be a collector of rubbish - the municipio does that on a regular basis.

AS ALWAYS, WE APPRECIATE YOUR HELP AND YOUR INTEREST IN OUR ENDEAVORS. HOPE WE SEE YOU THERE.

Patty Ferrentino

baja829 - 1-17-2007 at 11:37 AM

About 3 years ago, some friends from CA came down and with 2 others from BC, we took off in 3 buggies, pulling a small trailer full of school supplies and clothing. We live at KM38 on the road to Puertecitos, from San Felipe. We drove to Punta Final, only to find out that school was outside in someone's backyard. They had about 17 students and the teacher came for 2 weeks and worked with the kids, and then returned to Ensenada for 2 weeks - she was doing her internship and left them with 2 weeks of work to do at home. All were very serious, she had good lesson plans and they even had good school supplies, which we added to.

We went on to Calamajua, where we hoped to find a really big school with lots of kids. We were disappointed however, when we found out that all but one family had abandoned this fishing village, because the scallop diving company left, leaving an ice plant, packing house, huge mountains of shells, and lots of empty houses. The remaining family had 3 children. A school teacher was there to our great surprise! She lived with the family, taught for a month, and went back to Ensenada for a month, leaving lessons to be completed for her return. She shared some of what she was teaching and again were quite surprised at the good work of all of them -- dropped off some more supplies and headed back North.

When we arrived back in Puertecitos, which has an on-line computer-based learning system, along with a resident teacher, we were able to drop off the rest of the supplies.

A great 3 day trip with nights at Alfonsina's, met lots of people at dinner, from all over the world. Most important however, good lessons learned about the educational efforts Mexico makes on behalf of rural families in BC. Most all of those visited were extremely poor --many of the parents were not literate, however, placed great importance on their children learning as much as possible. Most of those visited will only complete 6th grade - Primaria -- but math and reading skills at 6th grade in MX is equal to of greater than our 10th and 11th graders in U.S.