After leaving the ecolodge this morning, we took a taxi to the city of Santa Elena, up the mountain from San Luis where we have been staying. We visited a technical high school, or colegio, where students from all over this area must travel in order to attend high school. School is only compulsory through sixth grade in Costa Rica. For many children, a high school education is unattainable due to the great distance they must travel each day to reach the colegio. Distance is even more so a barrier to university study, although the colegio in Santa Elena does offer a distance learning lab through which students can earn an advanced degree from a university.
The most impressive thing about the colegio was the projects students are involved in. There are two technical tracks students can take--ecology and ecotourism. Students in the ecology track showed us their pig "project" and their tilapia pond . . They use the pig "by-products" to feed the tilapia. They are raising pigs to earn money to pay for field trips.
Students in the ecotourism track were learning how to cook. Today they were making a bechemel sauce.
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After our visit to the colegio, we visited the public health facility. I was surprised by the level of accessibilty to health services, although people must travel to another larger city for anything other than sick visits, some preventative care, and minor surgery. The staff here consists of two general practice doctors, two resident doctors, and five nurses.
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Now we are enjoying a couple of hours of free time in Santa Elena before returning to our homestays for the evening.
¡Hasta luego!
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