Curruption in Education

One thing you deal with when teaching overseas is, well, it is overseas. You are working in other cultures, with different outlooks, and different legal systems.

You may have to deal with out-and-out corruption which damages the educational system.

Example: Last year I had a student who JUUUUUUUUUUUST squeaked by and passed my class, but he was not so lucky in three of his other classes, where he failed miserably. He's a nice enough kid, intelligent enough, but he didn't do much work. When he was given chances to make up some work with some supplementary exams - he failed those too. The decision was made that he would repeat the year. Or at least, if he was going to continue with our school, he could repeat his 5th course (equivalent to US 11th Grade).

The parents didn't like this, and din't want to try to take their son to another school, so they "appealed" his grades to the Ecuador Department of Education. The department therefore legally changed his grade to 100% in all classes and he has legally completed his year.

So now, we are being told that this young man, who has been in 5th course again (and not doing well) may be pulled from his current courses and dumped into 6to Curso (12th grade). Of course, he has missed 25% of the year, and is totally unprepared  for school at this new, higher level.

As my eldest son likes to quote: "This can only end in tears."

International Day

Academy

International day at InterAmerican 

Today (Saturday) had a great time at International Day. All of the students and parents set up booths honoring their home countries - with information, art, and of course food. We had representatives from Norway, South Korea, the USA and a host of Latin American counties like Chile. I had some great food and played some soccer!