Experience, Explore, Expand: Day 7~ FTGC 🌿

Today we got to visit the COAR Pasco school!! ☺

If you're interested in learning more about COAR schools in Peru, here's the website: https://www.minedu.gob.pe/colegios-de-alto-rendimiento/.

COAR Pasco school has about 250 students in grades 3° - 5° Secondary (Ages 15 - 17). They can enroll up to 300 students, but since this location is quite remote many students prefer Lima or some have left the school.

They have 48 teachers because half teach the1st half of the day, and the other half teach the 2nd half of the day. Students go to school Monday to Friday from 7:20AM to 7:20PM, and on Saturday from 7:20AM to 12:20PM.

This COAR is an IB school, which is interesting because when we talked to some of the people who gave presentations about education in Peru said IB is only taught at private schools? Maybe I heard wrong??

We visited the school on Saturday morning and received a tour of the school and went to see all the classes for each grade level!! Our host teacher Miss Elizabeth is currently interim principal!! The new principal will arrive July.🌞

Books donated from Seattle World School Library!! 🗺

Grade 3° Classrooms

Grades 4° and 5° Classrooms

After visiting the classes, we went to see where the students live when they aren't at school. The student housing was about a 5 minute walk down the road from school. The dormitory is separated by gender. There is a dining hall, nurse's office, laundry washing area, and one study building.

Housing Entrance

I've never visited a boarding school school, but this reminded me like living on campus in college but with security. There are some adults who live on campus with the students who are like residential assistants. We also learned that students have like a "big brother" or "big sister" grouping made up of one student from each grade level to help with adjusting living away from home.

We did see some parents waiting to pick up kids to go home because on Saturday students can go home for one night, but must return by Sunday evening. Majority of the students stay in town, and only a few go home. When we visited the COAR Lima, almost ALL the students went home since it's located closer to the city.

All the housing and food is paid for by the Ministry of Education of Perú. Our host teacher said they are supposed to have a new building being built for the school, but they've been told that since the school opened in 2015. They are currently using part of another school's buildings. Also, the students were supposed to be given uniforms and they have not received those as well. 👀

It's interesting to be able to have this insight!! There are challenges in educational systems everywhere, and I think it's illuminating to see how education is viewed, valued, and implemented in any school! It's even more interesting to see it in another country. Even the "same" school (COAR) is different from Lima to the one in Pasco. Just like the schools in Seattle vary within the same district.

After the school tour, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant and did some sight seeing.