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Ms. Atondo

OK. So I am thinking of educating my children in Mexico starting at pre-kindergarten as I am not ready to give up teaching just yet. But, the following conversation I had with my UNIVERSITY EDUCATED boyfriend just scared the begeezus out of me. It was as follows (while watching Pearl Harbour on the T.V)

Him: Why are there so many planes?
Me: They are attacking Pearl Harbour.
Him: What is this movie about?
Me: World War II, basically.
Him: Oh... Was it a big war?
Me: Shocked

Him: No, really, was it big? I remember hearing about it in school.
Me: Shocked

Uh, yeah, remember Hitler and all that?
Him: Nope.

I realize that this is a isolated case but any comments on education received in Mexico would be appreciated. I am now having scary dreams about returning to Canada with a child who had an education which means little to nothing. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Mexican children are uneducated. I am just concerned about the scope of the education they receive and how it transfers out of Mexico when (if) I decide to finish education in Canada (or the US)

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Mexico lags far behind other nations, particularly in the sciences and mathematics I'm afraid. However, on history, Mexico had little to do with WWII, so, it and gringo history are not higlighted as much in history classes. Mexican history gets more importance.

MELEE · Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:41 pm Post subject:

Ms. Atondo,

My university educated husband also has a very limited general education knowledge. I think part of it is because there are two entirely different philosophies of education under which he's studied, both of which are different from how I was educated. Public (and to some extent private because they have to follow the government curriculum) primary and secundary schools teach under a memorize to pass the test system with frequent tests, which are unsurpisingly followed by forgetting the information. High schools vary more because they are further beyond the reach of the SEP. This level called mid-higher education and higher education tends to be more specialized. The students choose a "major" and that's what they study even at highschool and then also at university. Rather than a liberal arts type education like I had where of 128 credits to graduate only 38 were in my major. My husband studies math, in his undergraduate degree the only non math classes he took were his English classes (and an overview of world philosophy in first semester). I could go on and on about things he didn't study over the years and things he did in Secundaria he studied, Chemistry, Biology, Botony and Physics--an age where my classes were still just called "Science"--but he doesn't understand basic weather patterns or why the car is wet on a cool morning even though it didn't rain at night, and even though he's seen me do it several times, he still doesn't believe there is a logical reason why pouring hot water over the lid of a jar you can open works.

Embarassed

Of course it is not fair to Mexico to talk this way. There are people who don't know things everywhere. I remember one Thanksgiving one of my American cousins--who is a civil engineer!--refused to believe the rest of the family, that hot water in the ice cube tray would get you ice cubes faster than cold water would. I don't know how he got through school without learning that one--an he's an engineer! Embarassed

However there are lots of options for education in Mexico. I was in Morelia, where my husband is in school, from January to July this year and on the radio I hear anouncements for TONS of schools--the one that most caught my attention was the Music Conservertory's Preshool advertising "educacion para y atreves de la musica" I would love to send my girls there! I also know a primary school in the state of Tlaxcala that is completely based on a "green" curriculum.
Long before I came to Mexico--and therefore long before I became a parent, I've been interested in homeschooling or specifically unschooling. Which I'm still interested in but undecided if I will follow that option.
I personally think that even if the child is in school--the parents will play a much bigger role in how they come out, true many parents will leave it to the schools, but I believe they are neglecting their responsiblity.
The good thing is that with the Mexican time table the kids are out by 1pm and you can have the afternoon for enrichment.
Okay, I really will stop there... Confused

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Are there Montessori schools in Mexico?

Just a thought..

MELEE · Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:46 pm Post subject:

Yes there are!
Even in Huajuapan!
But some seem to have just taken on that name...
But in Morelia, where Ms.Atondo is there are several excellent Montessori's two even have "infant communities" that take babies as young as 42 days.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

That one threw me too...I remember hearing it somewhere. My wife doesn't believe it, so we're going to have to have a little science fair here today.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Oh thank crikeys for that!

I was too ashamed to admit I'd never heard of that one either!

Thanks guys! Laughing

Fatcat · Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 92 Location: Athens, Georgia

I'm definitely not a science person but I know I've heard that before. Maybe I'll do a little experiment tonight...

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

You know, with all this ice we'll be making, it would be a shame not to have some rum and coke, or a few mojitos...so it doesn't go to waste. Good thing today is Friday. Freaky Science Friday.

Anyone know how to make frogs levitate?

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Throw them up in the air really high??

Ms. Atondo · Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 7:12 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the stories/advice. There are some good schools in Morelia but I find that what they say they do if not necessarily what happens. I worked for a "prestigious" school in Morelia and my students were pushed through in order for the school to secure their tuition for the next semester. I had kids in grade 5 English who did not know the English alphabet and could not find theverb in a sentence in English OR Spanish. And we were never allowed to give a grade less than "5".

On that note...any comments on the risks/benefits of going to public school vs. private. I was always told to avoid public schools due to large class size and lower quality education but at my private (and very $$$) school our classes had 30-32 students each. A class size of 40 doesn't seem that much different. And if the students are not given quasi-immediate 10's do they actually work harder???

Ms. Atondo · Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 7:15 pm Post subject:

God I miss science class now! I was very happy though to have found "Beakman's World" on the TV.

And who am I to talk. I can't do long division with decimals without a calculator Confused

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536