Spanish Essay, Research Paper

Most schools in Mexico are built and run by the government. That same government pays for students to go through the sixth grade. Beyond that, if a youth is to go on to school their family or some other individual has to pay for the education – books, fees, and tuition. Because of this not many students go on to school. The majority of girls do not go on to high school. The Mexican culture in the past has pushed for the women to stay home and be mothers. Since the economy is rather poor there’s usually not enough money to pay for education. Most of the schools are private Catholic schools. I spoke to several Hispanic members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Winlock. None of the women attended high school. Several of the men were in the same position. Two men, Oscar and Carlos, went through high school in their native country.These questions were asked of Oscar. He graduated from high school in Mexico. He came to the United States seven years ago and is in the process of getting his green card. He holds a steady job and has a great sense of humor.Are there sports in your high school?Yes, there are sports just like in the United States. I played basketball. I didn’t like soccer so I didn’t play it. But there were lots of chances to play what you wanted to play.Who paid for your high school education?My grandmother paid for my high school education. My father could not pay for school. I really am glad that I had a grandmother who would pay for me. To thank her I built her a large entertainment center with space for the television, the VCR, the stereo, and tapes. I built it in shop class. At the end of shop class, the teacher offered what we made for sale. I put my project in the back because I didn’t want to sell it. Someone wanted to buy it since I did such a good job. I didn’t tell him I made it in the beginning. The buyer finally figured out that I was the carpenter of that piece. I felt good that someone wanted to buy what I made. But I said no, that it was for my grandmother for Mother’s Day.How many students were in your class?There were about 40 in my class. That means forty in each classroom at one time.So, you went to a fairly small high school?No, not like Winlock. My school was bigger. Did you have both men and women for teachers?

Yes, I did – both men and women.Where did you go to school?I attended high school near Puerto Villarta, Mexico.What classes did you take?I took Algebra, Geometry, Spanish, one English class, shop, physical education, and science. We didn’t have the same class every day. Some days we would have two hours of shop, and the next day we would have two hours of something else. We rotated. My high school classes were much harder than the work here. From what I have seen the work in the United States is too easy. Mexican schools are much stricter. We don’t pass unless we know the material. If we have a failing grade then we fail the class. I hear sometimes in the United States the kids are just moved along.I noticed that you can’t read cursive writing.We only learn to print in our schools.What about discipline? Can the teachers touch you?The teachers have a right to use physical punishment – they could pull my ear and tell me to pay attention. They could spank me if I was bad.What did you do after school?I had two jobs after school and sometimes I went swimming at the beach. Even though many of the citizens of Mexico do not go on to high school, it seems that they get a better education as far as they go. The standards are higher for those who are actually in school. In this country, we are required to go to school until we are sixteen. Unless the student goes to a private school, he does not pay for his own education. Taxing the landowners pays for it. United States’ education system does allow students to pass through the cracks. Many of the high school graduates cannot write a complete sentence, fill out an application, or give change properly. Corporal punishment is not allowed in our schools any more. Sports are a major part of most high schools. Teamwork is emphasized. Our classes at Napavine are the same day after day – the same schedule. But there are other districts that have a rotating schedule. I think we should set our standards just as high for our students. If we don’t there’s going to be a lot of people depending on welfare because they have no job skills. If Mexico and America would look at each other’s education systems I think we would both learn a lot that we could improve on.