I appreciate very much being able to gain an insight into the educational system in Peru, which is so different from the one I am accustomed to. I have talked with a lot of local people about the Peruvian system and nobody seems to be really satisfied with it. In Germany there are strong organisations working in the field of vocational training, among other governmental organisations that help to implement the German system in other countries, if they want it. Of course, the German system cannot always be transferred to other countries, but I am very interested in learning about the factors that might promote or prevent such a development.
Getting to know a teacher like the one in the school project was also a very positive experience for me. I guess it would be difficult to find a teacher in Germany more open-minded and willing to listen to foreigners than the one in the school project.
As a peer, I can understand the teacher’s situation, which means I can be more helpful to her in spite of the different situations in Germany and Peru. Moreover, I can contribute ideas and suggestions. However, the teacher needs help in implementing new forms of teaching.
The teacher likes her job and is very motivated to improve, but she is at present not able to do a good job. Her grammar skills are good, but her speaking and pronunciation skills are poor. She is insecure and slightly helpless, and I get the impression that she feels inferior to the older pupils. Moreover, she feels herself under pressure by the Ministry of Education. She sticks to the school book that is unfortunately not a very good one (a lot of mistakes, boring exercises, bad writing skills exercises).
