Osprey
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Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Baja Ranch Kids
Baja Ranch Kids
When we bought this Mexican house in Baja Sur to retire for good, I paid no attention to what was across the wide dirt street to the south of us. From
the screams of an army of wild kids over there I soon learned the place was a boarding house for 65 ranch kids from all around this municipio.
It’s Mexico’s answer to bussing – the little ranches are just too widespread to facilitate the use of shuttles or busses. So these albercas, pools
(also called Internado, boarding student) give the ranch kids a second home during the week then their parents pick them up on Friday at school, bring
them back Monday morning. The ranchers pay part of the boarding fee and the government pays the rest. In far flung mountain ranches the facility is
both school and boardinghouse; there’s one in the Gigante mountains near El Bosque.
Because the places care for ages 5 through 12 it is sometimes a chaotic scene where the big kids lord it over the young ones. Ranch kids grow up quick
and tough because ranch life can be scratch and grab it at the best of times – I’ve witnessed some hard play over there that caused me some worry but
in all these years I’ve never seen an ambulance (or a hearse) pull up to the place.
The kids walk to and from school and have lunch there so the boarding house provides breakfast, dinner, beds and baths and a relatively safe place to
stay and play and run and scream with games and singalongs and an occasional drum lesson. (not my favorite)
Over the years the place has had several directors and it’s my guess they learned some things from their predecessors – the kids were probably told
not to bother that grouchy old gringo across the street. This year all the gringos in town are donating a ton of candy for a huge piñata for their
Christmas celebration before the break.
If I had to guess, the students run the gamut from those who are just going through the motions at school because they know they’ll spend their lives
working on the ranch and those who want desperately to escape the ranch sameness, use the schooling as a travel pass to a better place, a better life.
Several years ago I discarded some things at the dump and on the way out spied a huge pile of last year’s school books. Just for kicks I picked up a
dozen workbooks and took em home to read. Wow, I was amazed at how little the kids had learned from their lesson plans before they were tested in the
workbooks. Later, when I spoke to a local teacher about it she said it is very difficult get the kids to do homework – perhaps that’s one failing part
of the system, that they have no parent during the week to prompt them to bone up for coming assignments, learn more about what they were just given
to understand.
Mexico has a very high literacy rate but you really wouldn’t get that idea speaking with or listening to the normal chatter in this village. I rarely
encounter those who can read a newspaper.
I’ll finish by telling you the system, whatever it is, works. I rarely encounter those in the village, kids or grownups, without smiles on their
faces.
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wessongroup
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Think "that" is the bottom line... "smiles".. even if ya got it hard... makes life much more enjoyable... IMHO ... 
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TMW
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Very interesting, I never would have guessed it was that way. Thanks Osprey.
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Bajatripper
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Great post, Osprey, and some good observations. Another thing that is usually the case at these schools is that they are taught by brand new teachers
as a form of social service before they're issued their teaching credentials. And these teachers seldom stay more than a year, so continuity is bound
to be a problem.
Thanks again, Osprey, well worth your effort.
There most certainly is but one side to every story: the TRUTH. Variations of it are nothing but lies.
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Mengano
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
So these albercas, pools (also called Internado, boarding student) give the ranch kids a second home during the week then their
parents pick them up on Friday at school, bring them back Monday morning. |
Well that was close. But they are alberques.
albergue (all-bear-key)= lodge, shelter, hostel
alberca (all-bear-kah)= pool, reservoir
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Osprey
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Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Thanks, I shoulda caught that. I'm from Alberqueque.
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