Ollanta and Its Schools

While Peru and other Latin American countries have done an excellent job getting children to school, the quality of the education has not followed.

Ollantaytambo is a small rural town situated in the Peruvian Andes. Ollantaytambo supports one high school, two elementary schools and two preschools. Like all rural schools in Peru, deficient resources comprise the largest problems facing the schools. Schools are overcrowded and over-staffed by teachers unwilling to live in rural communities without the resources they need to teach.

When teachers finish their university degree, they draw a number that decides their posting—stay in a city or be sent to a rural location. Nearly all of the teachers come from affluent urban areas because rural families lack the resources required for a university degree. Not all, but most are hoping for a placement in the city. Unmotivated teachers already facing lack of resources do not create the best learning environment and quality of education becomes a very real issue.

Teachers are often late to class if they even show up. Many teachers do not know the subjects they teach thoroughly; English teachers barely speaking English and math teachers lacking knowledge of basic concepts. And, the most common form of teaching to learning is rote memorization. Students copy from the board and memorize.

While we cannot over-haul and change the system, we de believe we can make a difference by offering a chance for students to express creativity and think differently. With the enthusiastic volunteers we place in schools, whether teaching computer classes, helping in the pre-school or providing after-school tutoring, we can impact the way individual students learn while demonstrating we care about their learning and well-being.

We have specifically chosen to partner with the Yachay Wasi Jardin, the preschool, because of their alternative approach to learning. Yachay Wasi is a Peruvian non-profit that offers a holistic approach to learning focusing attention not only on fostering creative learning, but also on student well-being beginning with “Have you brushed your teeth today?” As this school grows, we hope it will be a model for quality education in Ollanta and we are committed to helping.