Public School

Our language teacher, Rui, also teaches in the afternoons at a public school that happens to be really close to our house. So he invited us to come today to see a small program at the school. We were excited to get to see what the school was like so off we went this afternoon.
(This isn't really the point of this post but I just have to include the little adventure we took finding the school... Mark drove right to what we thought was the school, parked and we went in and asked for professor Rui, just like we had been told. They asked us which Rui- another side note is that in Portugal there is a list of names that you have to chose from when you have a baby- and the boys list especially is small so there are a lot of people with the same name.- so we said Rui Tiago Fillipe. They said, "oh, Rui Reale." Well no, but this is all happening in Portuguese so although we think we know what they and we are saying it is a little foggy. So they say he is out to lunch, and to sit and wait for a minute, and so we sit. And one Rui returns from lunch- nope not the right guy. Another 10 minutes and the other Rui returns, nope still not the right one. Hmm so now I ask again if this is the public school in Lumiar. Yep, and for all grades. Oppps, no just for older kids. Okay, so we are in the wrong place so we ask where the other school is- they don't know. So we leave and finally we get a hold of our Rui. He guides us in, exactly behind the school we were at- how they don't know where it is I will never understand.)
Whew, back to the main story--- We find our Rui and go into the school to see the program. It is in their gym/multi purpose room, that doesn't have working electricity. It is chaos, total and complete chaos. Kids talking yelling, standing on chairs, leaving the room- not at all paying attention to the kids on stage trying to salsa dance. Friends, this is just 1-4th graders with one little class of 3,4 and 5 year olds. The kids were doing whatever they wanted while a couple kind teachers were doing their best to maintain some sort of order. I asked Rui is this was for parents too and he said, "NO" the school does like to have parents there- because its so out of control. Most of the teachers were not paying attention and some were outside talking, while a few tried to help the kids do the show and settle down.
After the show they had presents for the kids. Sounds nice huh!? Well the problem is that we asked where the presents came from and we were told that the government gives money to the school and the schools get to choose where it is spent. They thought it would be fun to give every kid a present. Hmmm, but the electricity isn't working in some of the school buildings and the playgrounds are bare, and and and...
We visited a couple of the classrooms, they were nice sized and the ones we saw were organized and well kept. But we talked with one of the teachers, the 1st grade teacher, and he was telling us about his class. He has 24 kids, not a bad size... BUT he has 4 kids with special needs. FOUR! One of them is autistic, one only has one leg, one has a colostomy bag and stints, and I didn't catch the last ones issue. And the teacher doesn't have any helpers- just him! He has a couple children with serious speech problems and parents that refuse to help.
Now I am very aware that there are places all over the world with educational difficulties much bigger than this, places where there isn't education available. But I live in Western Europe, in a very modern city and where this school is located is just across the street from a really nice area of town. It blew my mind and broke my heart! It was a cultural experience, to say the least, and it was a reminder that there is a lot of work to do here in our neighborhood.
As we were in the school, I started thinking of ways we could help- do something, anything... but the truth is that although we may find some small way to help out... what they really need is the Gospel. It's the only thing that will change the cycles that make issue like this so heartbreaking and real all over our world. The task in daunting, so many people... but I will pray to have the opportunity to shine light into the darkness... one person at a time!