What two women said about their experience at primery school during 50's and 60's

This essay analyzes the main contents of the interview and how was the narrator’s experience at school in 50’s and 60’s. Firstly, they have talked about school and its structure. Secondly, about the methodology they used and how they worked at school. Finally, they have explained the relationship between students and the teacher.

We have found interesting to ask them how was the school structure and also the classes they went. So, Maria Paz told us that her primary school had different classes where boys and girls were together. Surprisingly, Mary Paz’s school had not had playground so they passed their breaks at the street under a teacher’s watch. On the other hand, Isabel told us that in her village the school was not a school itself it was only a class where there were only girls because the boy’s school was in another place on the village.

The methodology they used at school was through books. Meanwhile, Maria Paz said that they had their own book and paper sheets to work on them, Isabel said that they had only an encyclopedia for the class. Moreover, Maria Paz told us that her classes were more theoretical and Isabel told us that her classes were theoretical too and also practical because for example, when they had to study Geography they went out of the class to see the river and the mountain near the village.

It is important to take an overview of how was the relationship between the students and their teachers. About this and comparing their experiences we have found an interesting and a big difference. In one hand, Maria Paz said that students did not have relationship with their teachers because teachers were more authoritarian and distant. On the other hand, Isabel said that she had a good memory about her teachers because teachers were so warm and close with their students.

Before concluding this essay, we want to highlight some interesting anecdotes about their school’s experience. In case of Maria Paz, she said “At the beginning I like going to school but when they started to send homework I didn’t like it so much…” (2015).  In case of Isabel, she said “Every morning we have to sing the National Anthem in front of the Franco and Primo de Rivera’s photos and then we said… ¡Viva España!” (2015). The first anecdote was common for us, because these days kids do not like doing homeworks either. But at the same time, the second one was kind of shocking. Because we never have to do that, singing the National Athem. Nowadays nobody does, so it was so weird for us to hear it. 

Finally, to conclude we have observed a lot of differences about the primary education between a woman who studied in the city and another one who studied in a village. However, both of them think that the education in the city is better than in the village.