Diario las Américas., 1958-02-28
thy
Nei9hbor
By ANTONIO RUIZ

0y ANIOINIS NOIS
VENEZUELA An excellent
example of Inter American tech
nicai cooperation is being carried
into practice in Venezuela, in a
rural school where school teachers
from l8 of the 81 American re-
publics receive additional training
at the Inter American Normal
Rural School of Rubio, Tachira
State, to enable them to train
others in rural school education.
The plan, however, goes beyond
the simple coaching on how to
give country children an element
airy education. Realizing the great
influence school teachers have in
small communities, the originatorS
of the project want to widen the
training scope of rural school
teachers, so they may become a
factor in the development of dis
tricts where they work, by show
ing children how to improve living
and social conditions in their COM
munitieS.
This requirement has committed
the countries concerned to care
full selection of teacher-studentS
sent to the Rubioi School. Brazil
has sent a lady physician and al
agronomist; Colombia, several rur-
al school headmasters; Haiti, its
general director of rural educa-
ton; Ell Salvador, Honduras and
Nicaragua some of their best rur-
al school teachers; Venezuela a
number of school principals. The
Inter American Normal Rural
School as completed in 1858,
according to an agreement be-
tween Venezuela and the Organiza-
ton of American States.
Venezuela was selected among
several American republics which
submitted offers. because it was
considered the country offering
best technical facilities. The GAS
pays the salaries of the school d.
rector, eight professors and a num-
Der Of assistants, in addition to
$1,000 yearly scholarships to 105
teachers, plus transportation from
and to their countries, lodging and
personal expenses. 1t also supplies
all teaching equipment.
Venezuela built the school at
her own expense, furnishes land
for farming and cattle breeding
Venezuela built the school at
her own expense, furnishes land
for farming and cattle breeding
experiments, pays salaries of the
Venezuelan professors, and also
pays transportation expenses of
students to neighboring rural
schools. The Venezuelan Govern
ment presented the school with a
3,000-volume library. Each of the
American nations participating in
the project may send five students
under GAS scholarships and as ma
nay more above five as it wishes,
for its own account. Several hun
dred students from Latin Ameri-
can countries have been taking
advantage of the project.
One Of the main requirments to
enter the scho0i is a minimum of
five years teaching experience.
The two-year course includes five
general subjects farming and live
stock breeding, home economics,
health and sanitation, teaching me-
thods, and school management.
Students are also required to take
up the following courses; natural
sciences Zoology, botany, physics
and chemistry social sciences (ru-
raj sociology, economics, geogra-
ply and world history, and Span
ish and English grammar and lit.
%erature.
The Inter American Normal
Rural School is housed in several
buildings in the center of a 1874
acre tract of land. There are seven
buildings for classrooms, laborator-
les and shops; five buildings for
male students dormitories, and
two for employees dormitories;
one houses and 8-bed infirmary,
attended by a doctor, a dentist,
and a nurse; and n for dining.
rooms, kitchen, pantry, etc. There
is a large auditorium for lectures
anG motion picture exhibitions,
and there are stables, poultry hou-
SEES, swine pens. rabbit pens, and
bee houses. 1t also has a girls
dormitory, houses for the school
Director and professors, a sports
stadium and a swimming pool. The
school has its own power plant and
water supply.
Spanish Version Page 8