education
“Even teachers from state schools send their children to us”: The couple from Eschlikon built a school in Brazil 26 years ago – now it is about to end
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The school in Colônia do Gurguéia, which Beat and Ursula Roggensinger set up 26 years ago, is suffering massively from the economic consequences of the pandemic. The couple from Eschlikon do their utmost to prevent closure.
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Ursula and Beat Roggensinger from Eschlikon.
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Your school was very successful. In none of the surrounding Brazilian primary schools do children learn to read and write as quickly as in the one that Beat and Ursula Roggensinger founded 26 years ago in Colônia do Gurguéia. But the coronavirus has long since pushed schools in South America to their limits.
A few days ago a call for help from the school principal reached the Roggensingers in Eschlikon. “In all these years he had never sounded so nervous,” says Beat Roggensinger. The headmaster announced that there was now a lack of money everywhere. There was lockdown in Brazil for almost a year.
“The economic consequences are obvious.”
Wages had to be cut by a quarter a long time ago. For the Brazilian relationship that is extremely drastic. “Most of them are dependent on every lump,” says Roggensinger. Although the school is now open again, due to the strict restrictions, the classrooms can only be half occupied.
Eschlikon municipality donated 1,000 francs
Beat and Ursula Roggensinger recently supported the school with a financial contribution, without informing the resident headmaster in advance. Beat Roggensinger says:
“He had actually thought of the total closure of the school.”
An unthinkable scenario for the Eschlik couple. As Roggensinger explains, the educational project was only possible 26 years ago through various donations. Among other things, the political municipality of Eschlikon participated with 1000 francs. “At the time, it cost around 25,000 francs to build the building. In addition, there was a lot more money that we had already invested in the entire planning. “
–A look into the private school in Colônia do Gurguéia.
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Beat and Ursula Roggensinger lived in the small town of Colônia do Gurguéia in the state of Piaui for ten years. The village has around 4500 inhabitants – a little less than Eschlikon. “Back then we saw the need for better education because we knew that education is the key to a better life,” says Beat Roggensinger. “In 1995 we started with 1st class and then built up another class every year.” It did not take long for the parents to understand that the teaching in the new school is of an astonishingly high standard.
“The school management and teachers from the state schools sent their own children to us.”
And the city itself was so immensely proud of the private school that it granted Beat and Ursula Roggensinger honorary citizenship. Now, as when the institution was founded, the couple are hoping for donations. Because without this the debacle threatens to become a reality.
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