What are some major differences between city and rural life for students?
In large cities, students attend generally large unidades educativas (or schools) where uniforms are most often mandatory. For breakfast, many cafes and bakeries in the city offer traditional breakfasts like bolones (fried plantain balls), toasted breads with marmalade, fresh juices and tigrillo (a mix of eggs, plantains and cheese). At school, it is common for students to remain in the same classroom while the teachers switch locations to teach their respective subjects. For transportation, many students take local buses, and after school or during lunch breaks, independent vendors sell snacks and lunch foods like corn with pork on the street. Another snack that's become popular in the last ten years or so is ice cream topped with shredded white cheese! From what I've been told, school rivalries can run deep here, especially between marching bands!
In rural towns like the Indigenous communities I volunteer in, many students have to walk to school, as there are no buses. Some students may walk for more than an hour on dirt roads to arrive, which is no small feat as the mountainous region's temperatures are pretty chilly at night and in the early morning. Similar to the city schools, uniforms are required in the rural Indigenous schools, and many students choose to wear special traditional skirts called anacos and shawls in their appropriate school colors. Both of the rural schools I volunteer at have several smaller classroom buildings (rather than one larger complex) which surround a concrete pad where students love to play soccer.
