Transforming Education in Bolivia

May 22, 2015

OSSTF/BCTF delegation reports on their visit to Bolivia

Excerpt:

“The OSSTF/BCTF delegation was greeted at the Cochabamba airport with flowers, photographers and a videographer hired to document the arrival of the presidents and their staff!

“Feeling like rock stars, Nancy Knickerbocker and I (Domenic Bellissimo) proceeded to accept the flowers and thanks on behalf of Jim Iker (BCTF President) and Paul Elliott (OSSTF/FEESO President). Throughout the visit, explanations were well received about the circumstances which prevented Paul from coming and Jim from staying in Bolivia for the graduation ceremony on May 1.

“In fact, the education struggles we are currently engaged in became the high points in our speeches to the graduates during the opening of their ceremony. Bolivians, especially rural ones, seem to be inherently combative as witnessed by the fact that the right to strike and blockade roads is enshrined in their constitution. They were quite proud of their anti-colonial stories of resistance and in fact the main square in La Paz features a town hall clock which appears to be counting backwards—as a reminder of the need to erase a colonial legacy.”

Read the complete report  (PDF 2.8MB)