A Discussion with Jonathan Obenauer, Teacher, Colegio San Adolfo, El Dorado, Canelones, Uruguay

With: Jonathan Obenauer Berkley Center Profile

May 23, 2012

Background: As part of the Education and Global Social Justice Project, in May 2012 undergraduate student Charlotte Markson interviewed Jonathan Obenauer, a teacher at Saint Adolph School (Colegio San Adolfo) in Uruguay. In this interview Obenauer discusses how the school integrates theology and religious values into its curriculum, the challenges created by modern media, and the importance of continuing education for teachers.

What subjects do you teach the children?

We teach a range of topics, including language, math, and science. Science includes both social and natural science. Natural sciences include chemistry, physics, biology, astronomy, and geology. Social sciences include history, geography, law, and ethics. In contrast to secondary school, we strive to work in an integrated manner, connecting different topics. You can start teaching a topic in chemistry and end up in history, because everything can be combined in order for it to gain sense and have a relation.

Are you also responsible for the religious education of your students?

I used to attend a Catholic school, so I can compare how I experienced it as a student and now as a teacher. When I was a child we had a catechist come and teach us at school. Here, considering the integrated approach I mentioned earlier, it is nice that the regular teacher can bring theology into the classroom, connecting it to other aspects of life. However, this doesn’t happen in all schools.

Do you perceive any differences between a Fe y Alegría school and other schools?

Yes, there are differences, but they also come from the individual personality of each school. Regarding the religious aspect, I believe there is a good support system at this school. When you study to become a primary school teacher, there is no subject or professor that teaches you theology. So, you study to become a teacher in languages, math, or science. In theology I feel like I continue to educate myself every day, and there is maybe a lot I still need to learn, but I believe that you also learn it throughout life. In this school I feel very supported in teaching theology and continuing to learn about it myself. In the other school I feel like many teachers are drifting and alone in this endeavor.

Do the children in this school have special needs or challenges compared to other children?

Yes, but when it comes to working in the classroom that is not the problem. Today, communication and globalization have made it possible for everyone to have access to all information. A child who goes to this school can have the same access as a child that attends a wealthier school, for instance by using its XO [educational computers donated to public school students by the Uruguayan government]. Both children have access to good and bad things. I think a lot of the bad things that are happening in our society today are due to the mass media and what children consume without a filter. The filter we can provide during the four hours we are in class with the children is not enough to cover all the time they are home alone while their parents work. Some children are home alone for more than eight hours a day, and they have access to anything just by pushing a button.

So it is my opinion, and this is shared by many of my colleagues, that when working with these children who consume certain types of information you can see certain values changing. Many things cause this, but the media are a big part of it. Television educates, and nowadays school has to compete with the mass media. A television is a lot more attractive due to its color, speed, and interactive qualities. So what we are trying to do is incorporate these elements inside the classroom. But this is hard because of all the time children spend without a filter. A wealthier school has these same problems.

Can you tell me about the work this school has done with the Catholic University of Uruguay?

This is a topic that is talked about a lot among the faculty, and it has to do with how a teacher’s work schedule looks. In this country teachers are meant to spend four hours a day with their students. With the salary a teacher makes, this is impossible though, so teachers teach two shifts, often in two schools. So a teacher works four hours in one school, four hours in the other, and in addition has to dedicate time to each school for preparation, etc., and then comes home and has to cook, clean, and take care of children. Continuing education is important, and teachers ask for them because they know this. But the time you are given for further education is not sufficient. I doubt that you can absorb very much in one hour on a Saturday when you are tired from the week. The workshops do speak to the teachers’ needs, but it depends on every teacher whether or not he has time to dedicate to it. Nonetheless when we have workshops organized by Fe y Alegría we go to Montevideo. We meet and talk. This is a very positive experience because there is little time for us to see each other, and when we do have a workshop it is very productive.

So you meet with other teachers from Fe y Alegría schools?

Yes, when we meet we exchange ideas, experiences, and stories, which help everyone learn. But the times should be arranged differently. This is not something that is easily changed, and I think the change needs to come from above.

Can you tell me about the differences between the public and private education, and the relationship between the two?

I think most teachers are in favor of public education. Nowadays, however, I think public education is restricted in many ways in which private education is not. Private education has to keep updating, but sometimes it can choose which changes it wants to implement. Private schools can also dedicate time to religious education, which public schools cannot.

Opens in a new window