On November 30th Somos Ohana received news from Luvy Uriarte, head teacher of the Instituto Augusto C. Sandino in La Carreta, informing us that it was the last day of instruction for the students of secondary education there. Though the teachers and administrators still had a lots of work to do before their official vacation around Christmas and the New Year, the students are on a long vacation similar to the US’s summer vacation (or the old Hawaii “coffee schedule”) until the first day of instruction of the new school year during the first week of February, 2018. This vacation coincides with the important harvesting of coffee at this time of the year and the driest season, which is call “verano” or summer, in Nicaragua.
In January, the teachers are expected to visit every family to take a census and to encourage the participation of school age children to take advantage of their right to free public education in Nicaragua.