First Days back at school

School started last week monday. I haven’t taught any classes yet.

Also, a few weeks ago when I published a blog about not having too many wtf moments, turns out I spoke too soon.

Let’s start with two weeks ago Thursday:
We got word at the school, that the schedule was not set and that teachers would continue with the same schedule from last year (but only for a few weeks). We had yet to learn how many students we had enrolled or how many students would enroll. Some new reforms passed about how enrollment would be done and a lot was (and kind of still) was up in the air.

Last week monday:
I had a meeting at the local ministry of education extension. It was like black friday up in there. For the first time, parents had to enroll there first and be told which school to go to, instead of going to the school (from what I understand at least)…. Anyway, I don’t think they were expecting such a crowd.

Apparently the first day, the crowd broke the metal gate. From there on, they had a strong police presence. On monday, I couldn’t get in the front door and had to walk the long way around to the back gate. I was following a dirt path with an irrigation ditch and steep hillside, separating me from the ministry extension. I was just hoping that this dirt path eventually connected to where I needed to go. I eventually encountered some other people and asked if there was a bridge at any point. They told me that yes, there was, but there were police monitoring up on top of the hill and that I wouldn’t get through.
A little while later, I saw another woman who had crossed the ditch and was scaling the hill, clearing brush, jungle/machete style as she went. I wished her luck and told her about the police. Her only response to the police: “It doesn’t matter.” This was at 9am. People were already getting desperate.

I eventually got to the back gate, and white privileged my way in. (I.e. I’m clearly not an Ecuadorian mother looking to enroll my child. I’m there for a separate meeting to do with English-Language project development.) However, my Ecuadorian friend who was working with me was going to be left at the gate until our ministry contact came down to get her. #Inequality.
So I went up to get the coordinator, in very “ya mismo” fashion, it took us a good 15 minutes to get back downstairs. Things had gone from bad to ridiculous. Honestly I was a little frightened. I saw people pushing at the gates, and I’m frankly surprised that no one was trampled there that day (at least not that I heard about).

I went back there a few days later, and it was a much more relaxed environment (despite continued police presence). The school seems pretty normal now too, but still, I haven’t started teaching. I go everyday. I hang out. I make yummy snacks for my teachers and make friends with the janitors. I strategize for the coming year and relish my special ability to come and go as I please. I’ve been keeping extremely busy with other projects for the meantime. We’ll see where I go from here.