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Quality of Education in USA verses Colombia

Who has the better education? Hmmm?

t

By lpdiver on Mar 27, 2008, 21:59 in Friendly Talkzone.

Simon says on Mar 27, 2008, 22:00:

Why do you always have to compare us to the USA? Why not compare with Venezuela, Panama, Brasil, Guatemala, etc?

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

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DodgerDogs says on Mar 27, 2008, 22:08:

The USA has more Tax dollars and other sources, such as state lottery's to fund education.
I know Colombia kids at younger ages bring home more homewrk ( mucho tarea cada dia ), and still mange to get it done with out a personel computer.
Most Colombia schools dont have free lunches and hot food cafeterias, but the kids still
manage to learn.

So I would say the USA, has the most advantages, but Colombia students learn more with less advantages and put forth more effort to learn , than students in the USA.
Many schools here in Colombia have 3 different shifts as early as 06: 00 am and as late as (11pm exit time).
How many kids in the USA would like to go to school as early as 06:00 am
and how many would like to hear the last bell at 11:00 pm.

Also here most dont have school buses, but the kids manage to get to school,
via walking moto taxi or reg taxi and also collectivos ( busettas ) and some ride
double and triple on horses and burros, the kids in Colombia love to learn !!!

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.Martin Luther King:

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lpdiver says on Mar 27, 2008, 22:29:

Simon...

I live in the US and will probably live in Colombia soon and have a child? Does that help answer your question?

t

"cook some rice!"

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lpdiver says on Mar 27, 2008, 22:54:

Rubito,

I am with you. I feel that parents get what they put into their childs education. Personally, I don't think there is a great deal of differnce if all other factors are equal. I am thinking about home schooling in addition to traditonal schooling. That way my daughter can have a diploma in the US and Colombia and more options.

t

"cook some rice!"

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lpdiver says on Mar 27, 2008, 23:21:

What are cost currently running for private schools in Colombia?

"cook some rice!"

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Robert Jorge says on Mar 27, 2008, 23:34:

I was going to answer Simon's question by saying: "Because this is a website about Colombia, and many people here also happen to live in the US or are expatriated." Comparing Brazil to the US would be a little wierd on a Colombian blog site.

The differences in quality of education is so vast in both countries, it would be an impossible question to answer. I know a lady who grew up in a pueblo called Acacias, and she is an orthadontist. I know people who grew up in barrio Candelaria in Bogota, who didn't know Puerto Rico was a part of the US and never heard of Adolph Hitler. In fairness, many university graduates in the US couldn't show you where Colombia is on a map, nor could they name the current Vice President of the US. I could read adult level books at age 5, but my formal education later was a complete waste of time ... unless learning how to avoid being beaten publicly on a daily basis isn't a waste of time.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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lpdiver says on Mar 27, 2008, 23:43:

For what it is worth my feel is that Colombian schools are much more demanding across the board. But in the end which puts you in a position to earn a better living? I am not so sure about that.

t

"cook some rice!"

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Robert Jorge says on Mar 28, 2008, 00:14:

Kind of like Yale or Harvard.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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hieronymus says on Mar 28, 2008, 03:04:

I don't know much about neither Colombian nor US education but I noticed a couple of things:

- students in Colombia spend a lot of time in school allegedly studying English but somehow the result is often disappointing, I don't know why..

- on a recent visit, we sent our kids to a Bogota kindergarten some days and were surprised that kids spent between 1 and 2 hours daily in front of TV while there. Is this the rule in Colombia? This would be unthinkable in my home country. The kindergartens I know don't even have a TV.

- not all university professors in Colombia, even at the National university, hold a doctoral degree, but I think that this is required now for newly hired staff.

My impression is that as a kid, you CAN get a decent education in Colombia (but look carefully). If you want to pursuit an academic career, it is advisable to spend a couple of years abroad, to acquire an advanced degree.

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Chriscan says on Mar 28, 2008, 03:09:

There is more miseducation in the u.s

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass

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Bill Turley says on Mar 28, 2008, 06:20:

I agree with the consensus that Colombia education can be equal or better than in the US. About English Education, in the district (Public) schools it is rare to find an English Teacher that can actually carry on a conversation in English. The major English Component in the ICFES exam may gradually improve things. Don't blame the local school for the level of the teachers, the Secretary of Education hires and places the teachers. Here in Somondoco there are 2 Secondary Schools a Commercial School and a Normal School. At theCommercial School, the principal knows the low level of the English Teacher but can really do nothing. As a retired principal I would not allow such a teacher in my school but in this case there is no option. This person has been in that position for about 15years. I frequently am asked to help individual students with the English definciency. I teach a group of 8 11th graders every Saturday morning at 8:00,I don't charge for this by the way.
At a principal I had to cope with the difference in NAMING of the level of school. in the US the levels are KG,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 in Colombia it is KG, T, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11
Rural schools frequently have a lack of lab facilities for example, CHemistry, Biology for example are often just taught from books, due to the high cost of the Labs and the activities in them.
As to cost a good, really bilingual school in Bogota should cost about $600,000 pesos monthly

Mr. Bill Somondoco

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MaFe says on Mar 28, 2008, 07:29:

College and graduate level I will say the U.S.

For children, I will say it all depends on the school!
NOt all schools in the US are bad, behind...it really depends on where you live, where you put your child.

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. "-Aristotle

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morphus says on Mar 28, 2008, 07:43:

How it works in New York City high schools is they have classes for dumb kids and classes for smart kids. For example, the smart kids take algebra, calculus or trigonometry while the dumb kids never get further than arithmetic. At graduation, the smart kids get a regents diploma and the dumb kids get a basic diploma. The smart dumb kids drop out of high school and take the GED test. If they score high on the test, they can get into a good college.

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viajero says on Mar 28, 2008, 07:47:

Americans don't know the capital of brazil, canada or even the capitals of their own states. they can't find any state on a unmarked USA map. Forget about finding another country on the map. Just do a youtube video search with this: clueless americans. You will see how clueless they are about everything.

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MitchAlvarez says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:00:

ive discussed this topic in depth with some very smart people both in colombia and the us.

both have two very different educational systems.

The US in my opinion focuses their high schools and colleges to a formatted specialized education. In Colombia you are taught a plethora of topics which you review year by year probably right up until the last year of highschool.

In the US most people take the SAT which is a basic English and Math/Algebra/Precalculus Exam. In Colombia I believe they still take the ICFES which is a much more comprehensive test that involves a lot more then just math and a language.

This all lead to further discussions as to reasons why Colombia with such high levels of education and a lot of very well educated college graduates can not become a much stronger nation in regards to efficiency. We all talked a lot about many different issues.

But when we touched on education I said the following:

In Medellin I must have run into 30 College Graduates with degrees in Medicine, Law, or Engineering who are driving cabs. These are the only 3 curiculums that most families encourage their children to take. There a much fewer technical schools or specialized schools that can provide/encourage others to go for other areas that are also needed in any modern economy. Now this topic deserves a lot more to be discussed and I know many might disagree with what Im stating but coming from someone who attended highschool in colombia, high school in the US, and college here in the US I see vast differences.

My family criticizes the US educational system because they think its too easy. I explain my concepts of specialization and they say oh thats why americans dont even know where any country besides theirs is in a map. At the same time I explain to them how very educated people in colombia cant find a job in a market with a surplus of lawyers, doctors, adn engineers and they disagree.

Anyways.......just wanted to throw this in ......... Ive had this discussion over a thousand times with my family members and best friends. Glad its here as well.

"Ingrid callate la jeta!! Stay in France"

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morphus says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:02:

Americans are very weak in geography. I knew one guy that thought there was an ocean between New York and California.

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morphus says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:05:

"An American woman looking to vacation in the U.S. island state of Hawaii asks her travel agent: "Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii?""

"Fewer than 50 percent of those polled in the survey could identify the U.S. states of New York or Ohio on a map"

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MitchAlvarez says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:06:

morphus not only geography.

how about in the us the only history they have taught all my siblings is basically US history.

In colombia i had to learn the history of all latin american countries, most of europe, of course central and north america, plus all the theology of greeks, romans, etc etc.

trust me........its a lot more then just geography.

i had weekly presentations in 5th grade. every student did a different country.

jaja i remember those days. :)

"Ingrid callate la jeta!! Stay in France"

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tomtom33 says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:21:

"Americans don't know the capital of brazil, canada or even the capitals of their own states. they can't find any state on a unmarked USA map. Forget about finding another country on the map. Just do a youtube video search with this: clueless americans. You will see how clueless they are about everything."

This was such a brilliant statement that I had to repeat it.

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morphus says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:25:

Test your geography here: http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/
I got all the world geography questions right and only 5 wrong on the Europe quiz.

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morphus says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:28:

Mitch, I remember having global study classes in high school but they focused on Europe and Asia. Never anything about Latin America.

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MitchAlvarez says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:32:

morphus thanks for the link.

"Ingrid callate la jeta!! Stay in France"

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MaFe says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:33:

morphus says on Friday March 28th, 2008 7:43:

How it works in New York City high schools is they have classes for dumb kids and classes for smart kids. For example, the smart kids take algebra, calculus or trigonometry while the dumb kids never get further than arithmetic. At graduation, the smart kids get a regents diploma and the dumb kids get a basic diploma. The smart dumb kids drop out of high school and take the GED test. If they score high on the test, they can get into a good college.

This is 100% true!
I did Kinder in Colombia, and part of first grade.
When I arrived in Queens, the kids were on basic plus in math, my mother had me on multiplication (age 5)

BUT for second grade I moved to Brooklyn with my parents, I was always in the "TOP" class, and I learned geography, math, everything. So I do, defend schools here because it all depends on the school.
They placed me in bilingual, I knew English by the time I moved to Brooklyn- they gave me an exam and put me in the top class.

When I was 12, my parents moved to Long Island- I was in a GREAT school district. I learned, and loved the education I received.

I know many Americans don't know geography and history, but I was taught history from ALL OVER the world!
I think it also depends on the person...do they like to learn??

My cousin lived in TN, he is in a good school. When I visited last April, I was so happy and surprised when he was doing a project on Europe; they had him pick 10 countries and do a whole presentation on the countries. We played capital games when we drove to Atlanta and he knew all capitals from all over the world...so sorry I disagree with "general American stereotypes."

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. "-Aristotle

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Brians says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:33:

I would say that the US educational system has serious flaws but if you live in the proper areas and have resources then the higher education is better. Why is it that most of the more successful Colombians I know send their children to the US or other countries for college? I don't feel that I know enough of Colombia's educational system to make a comparision. Maybe it could simply be for English experience that they leave to study.

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MaFe says on Mar 28, 2008, 08:38:

Brians says on Friday March 28th, 2008 8:33:

I would say that the US educational system has serious flaws but if you live in the proper areas and have resources then the higher education is better. Why is it that most of the more successful Colombians I know send their children to the US or other countries for college? I don't feel that I know enough of Colombia's educational system to make a comparision. Maybe it could simply be for English experience that they leave to study.

Very well put!!
How come so many Colombians, and people all over the world send their kids here?
There are MANY, MANY prestigious schools in this country.
So again, it is the region, and on the individual!

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. "-Aristotle

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Robert Jorge says on Mar 28, 2008, 09:11:

Thanks Morph for that quiz link. I got 100% on the World, but missed a few on the Europe quiz. The Baltic States messed me up, and I got mixed up on some of the Balkins too. I am going to try South America now.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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Simon says on Mar 28, 2008, 09:46:

"Mitch, I remember having global study classes in high school but they focused on Europe and Asia. Never anything about Latin America."

This is true, I mean, how many (US) Americans know who Simon Bolivar was?

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

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Robert Jorge says on Mar 28, 2008, 09:51:

I was never taught who he was Simon (Bolivar) in school. I never heard the name mentioned. I had absolutely NO formal education pertaining to South America / Latin America, besides maybe a day or two of basic geography. I started school in 1977, southern Indiana.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Mar 28, 2008, 09:56:

I think depend the school,

engage brain before opening mouth

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Mar 28, 2008, 10:09:

Mitch, I agree with you on your asessment of USA vs.Colombian education. Education in USA is more practical, more job-oriented (same here). Not everybody should be a doctor or a lawyer, a country needs lots and lots of intermediate-level professionals, technical personnel etc. the problem in Colombia is that intermediate-level jobs don't pay and skilled labour is very cheap.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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Simon says on Mar 28, 2008, 10:14:

You see what I mean RJ, I think it's truly embarrassing that US kids don't even know about the other great liberating general of our hemisphere.

But kids in Colombia do know who George Washington was!

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

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Brians says on Mar 28, 2008, 10:20:

Simon I question that statement. I have a lot of visitors come from Colombia to Philadelphia and would say few really do when we go to museums.

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vicshere says on Mar 28, 2008, 10:24:

when I went to school in Canada many years ago.....I felt and still do that highschool prepared everyone to be able to get some kind of job....a mechanic or a secretary....after grade 12-13 you could go to work or go on to university...so I think Canada anyway prepared students better for life.....in Colombia I find the exact opposite.....everyone leaves highschool prepared to continue on to university..... I fine most HS student in Colombia have no skills what so ever to hold any kind of reasonable job...unless they have "palanca"

listo

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Mononoke28 says on Mar 28, 2008, 10:27:

I can't speak for college level education even though my cousins seem to get degrees with 10-12 semesters each in Colombia.

BUT I did go to elementary school and up to 3ro de bachillerato en Colombia, then when we moved here I had to go to Junior High and High School and I was way more advanced when we arrived than the rest of the kids here. The only reason I was kept in Jr. High even though I was almost 13 was because of the language barrier but the teachers were very impressed. Same thing with my sister.

Even in high school we kind of skimmed over things when it came to history and geography. English was pretty good though, literature and what not, so I can't complain about that. Math was taught ½ assed. And what the hell do you need Home Ec. and Study Hall for? Those are a waste of time as far as education goes.

And don't get me started with electives. Once I was senior I was done with all the classes I needed to graduate so for 9 months I chose "electives" most of them music and theater and crap like that. Very valuable. =|

Diana

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Chriscan says on Mar 28, 2008, 11:07:

When american grade school students come to canada, they are usually bumped down a grade (as much as schools hate to do it)

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass

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tomtom33 says on Mar 28, 2008, 11:22:

Wish I had taken Home Ec. And I used study halls - to study!

We did a long section on all of South America, not that I cared at the time. And that was before la Violencia. So we learned nothing bad about Colombia. No one knew what cocaine was in those days, either. And we did learn about the US-backed theft of Panamá.

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Mar 28, 2008, 11:29:

"kept his child like curiousity in to adulthood...most children get their creative mind erased after the age of 9 by the education system as the academic system has no room for the creative mind" (american)

There's much truth in what you are saying, *american*.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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Albatross says on Mar 28, 2008, 11:49:

"Americans don't know the capital of brazil, canada or even the capitals of their own states.... see how clueless they are about everything."

There are, and have always been, PLENTY of dumb-ass, clueless Americans, but thanks to the rest of us, The United States of America is argueably the most innovative and creative culture in human history.

The Industrial revolution was in a large part fueled by American Inventors/Entrepreneurs (Edison, The Wrights, Ford, Boeing... ect), not to mention Artists such as Twain, Hemmingway, Faulkner, Kazan, Bogart, Miller or Huston... to name a few.

And the world's latest revolution, the computer/internet revolution, was close to 100% the result of American ingenuity - IBM, Apple, Intel, AMD, Sun, Microsoft, Cray, Unigraphics and on and on and on.

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Mar 28, 2008, 12:41:

"kids to overpriced joints like Nueva Granada, just to show how much money the kid comes from and to be able to drop the name. "
(Rubito)
Not just to be be able drop names, but mainly to make the right connections with right people for future employment, business and marriages. To hang out with right people and make right friends, not to be mixed up with "chusma" or "plebe" or go slumming for a girl/boyfriend.

I've taught English at a Colombian high school....several of them albeit such a long time ago that I don't believe my experience has any validity any longer. As a historical reference, perhaps, or an anecdote....problems: the size of the groups, teachers' low status(low pay), low priority (yes, it's important to learn English but not as important as some other assignments), outdated material, most local teachers have good command of the grammar but little fluency and not a very good pronunciation (you need to be a qualified teacher in Colombia for the job; it's not enough to speak the language, which means thatthe local teachers with "escalafon" but almost no spoken English skills are teaching the children)...

Bilingual schools with native teachers is a totally different ball game.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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Simon says on Mar 28, 2008, 12:48:

"I think Colombians send their kids abroad to study many times (NOT all but MANY) for the same reason they send their kids to overpriced joints like Nueva Granada, just to show how much money the kid comes from and to be able to drop the name."

I don''t usually agree with Rubito on anything but this time I do 100%!

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

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tomtom33 says on Mar 28, 2008, 12:50:

Yeah, Simon, that happened to me once. I spent a week worrying.

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Mononoke28 says on Mar 28, 2008, 13:19:

I'm 100% with Rubito as well. My cousins would many times have to eat oatmeal for dinner because most of the money went to pay the school fees which were El Colegio La Esperanza and El Carmelo. God forbid they go to a "lesser" school without any nuns so let's starve ourselves.

Back in the 80s and 90s one of the most popular careers was Business Administration and if you went to the Universidad Pontifícia Bolivariana "the better". My dad cracked me up one day when he said "Oiga mija, y todos estos hijueputicas dizque estudiando Administración de Empresas y todos creidos. ¿Qué empresas van a administrar como está Colombia de jodida?!"

Diana

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Simon says on Mar 28, 2008, 13:23:

"Oiga mija, y todos estos hijueputicas dizque estudiando Administración de Empresas y todos creidos. ¿Qué empresas van a administrar como está Colombia de jodida?!"

Jajajajaja!!! Tu papá sí lo dijo como es!

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

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jorgegdiaz says on Mar 28, 2008, 14:04:

I can´t believe no one mentioned coverage. One thing that Locombia lacks is coverage, especially compared to the US.

I went to a technical high schol in COL. I had to take calculus, chemistry, physics, thermodinamics, drafting, circuits and even Mecanics of materials. Later in college everybody was struggling and we were on a roll. I went to public schools all my life (elementary, middle, HS and college). Grad school was also a public US school. I worked as a tutor for a HS in the US, so I know some contents there.

In grad school in the US I showed a couple of profesors some undergrad tests I took and they were just flaberglasted. For some classes I had to take in grad school I had already seen those topics whereas otherstudents didn´t (i.e Hindus).

Yes, contents are wider and deeper in Col than in the US. The US has more resources which translates in labs, learning aids, and better trained profesors, don´t even mention levels of research (which translates in patents !!).

But for some reason, the apparently better education contents in Col don´t translate in wealth generation, why?

"To err is human - and to blame it on a computer is even more so."Robert Orben

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tomtom33 says on Mar 28, 2008, 14:43:

Life damages children.

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Mar 28, 2008, 15:07:

I went to "El San Jose" a well known school in Bogota belong to las Franciscanas a nun school, and God forbid you if you miss to pay the term, they would not let you into the classroom and they were NUNS!!!!

engage brain before opening mouth

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Mar 28, 2008, 15:08:

by year 8 I quit i was feed up!!! and move to a mixed school i was happy there, still we had to pay but not that astronomical fees that the other one had.

engage brain before opening mouth

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Mar 28, 2008, 15:13:

My brothers went to El Claretiano very good school too, it was more like American/British school, they didn't have to wear Uniforms and books were supplied there. later on they decided to put uniforms and make it a mixed school (boys and girls) it used to be just boys.

the School was expensive, but they used to do scholarship for poor students.

engage brain before opening mouth

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bogotabrian says on Mar 28, 2008, 16:07:

This is an interesting subject. I teach at a private school in Medellin. The all seniors there take physics and calculus and I know that this was just an option for the smart kinds in my public high school in South Carolina. The kids here also get a bilingual education which is super. I do think that the good private schools in the US are slightly better. The Colombian school where I teach mixes in a great deal more social events during the school day which I think are great but the private schools in the US tend to be a bit more academically focused. I think it maybe because many well-to-do families in the US are pressuring their kids to get into Ivy League schools which are very competitive to get into. From what I hear, at the university level the US schools are far better. I think it's because you have more universities focusing on specific types of degrees. For example, Georgia Tech and MIT are- known as a good engineering schools, and Duke is known for pre-medicine though both schools offer a wide variety of other majors. All of these school have high admission standards so you'd need to send your kid to a good private school to help the kid perform better on the ACT or SAT. I guess it could just be a matter of opinion though.

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MitchAlvarez says on Mar 28, 2008, 16:13:

american i think youve made a valuable input to this thread. I think you made a lot of us read your post twice. I thank you for that. But dont try to impose your views on all of us as if we were all fools are retards.

What do you propose we do? Set forth plans for us to be able to comment. Dont just come here saying were all conditioned to whatever.

You seem like a very smart person... lets see what else you got.

"Ingrid callate la jeta!! Stay in France"

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Mar 28, 2008, 16:20:

I Was Born Intelligent But Education Ruined Me

engage brain before opening mouth

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Mar 28, 2008, 17:41:

LOL kat1 yeah, me too. What a loss for the mankind. (ohhh..I meant...humankind)

The problem wih the education in Colombia is that it's so uneven. Some people are extremely well educated, some are borderline deprived of any.

I met people in Colombia who knew lots and lots about Finland; history, geography, architecture, literature etc. totally amazing.

I also met people who thought Finland was either Philadelphia or Irland, in any case, a very cold place far away.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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miamimike says on Mar 28, 2008, 22:55:

kat1 says on Friday March 28th, 2008 15:07:

I went to "El San Jose" a well known school in Bogota belong to las Franciscanas a nun school, and God forbid you if you miss to pay the term, they would not let you into the classroom and they were NUNS!!!!

===================================================================

Kat, Wow, those Nuns you describe in Col are pretty Coldhearted! I went to a Catholic grade school in Pennsylvania and after my Mom died of cancer when I was 6 years old in first grade and unknown at the time to me, my First grade teacher, a Nun(order of san jose) generously payed for the lunches every day for my sister and myself for the NEXT FOUR YEARS out of her own pocket. No small thing back then because these Nuns didn't make much money then. It was a real act of charity because our family didn't have much in those days but she made this sacrifice out of concern for us and our Tuition was then payed for by the Parish. That really surprises me what you wrote "God forbid you if you miss to pay the term, they would not let you into the classroom and they were NUNS!!!!"" I guess not all in America are cold and calculating as some would have you believe,,,

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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miamimike says on Mar 28, 2008, 23:11:

I don't agree with the train of thought Colombian schools are inherently better then schools here in the USA. Some schools may but not all for sure. I attended Private Catholic schools for for 11 years and a public school for 2 years and then there was a major difference in the last 2 years of Public schools. By the same token, some of the students in our neighborhood public highschools have went pretty far in the field of Law, science and Medicine. If our school system is so far behind, how do you account for all the inventions Americans have made? All the advances in Medicine in the USA? This doesn't happen by being last in Education. We were first on the Moon, We steered the Manhattan Project that engineered the Atom Bomb. Last week, here in Miami at Jackson Memorial Hospital, which is affilated with the U of Miami as its teaching arm, Doctors operated on a Woman who had a large malignant Tumor wrapped around her Aorta; the Miami Docs removed 6 Organs from her, removed the Tumor, put the 6 organs back inside and sutured them in place and Today she is doing doing well today speaking to the news on her wheel chair. She is expected to make a full recovery. Being behind in Education doesn't allow you to pull off feats such as this.You cannot make blanket statements all are better or worse ect,,,

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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Chriscan says on Mar 29, 2008, 00:06:

LOL miamimike
but you forgot to mention sliced bread

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass

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goin_south says on Mar 29, 2008, 00:18:

Albatross.... does knowing the capital of Canada or not, reallly, really matter??? jjajaa..
I think not much. unless possibly you are a mapmaker. Maybe a few other instances.. but, generally speaking, knowing the captial of Canada, does not figure in too many peoples' success or lack of.

Are you a 'teacher'?

Some say: All things are better in...Medellin! ....Oscar Lopez just says it's better.....LATE!!! (WHERE EVER YOU ARE)

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goin_south says on Mar 29, 2008, 00:22:

I was and still am surprised, that this topic or question was ever raised.
Everyone knows there is FAR BETTER OPPORTUNITY for Higher Education in the usa.
Lots of folks,... aiming to come here, for that and more.
Now, on the other hand.. not too many people are CLAMMERING to get into Colombian universities, from outside the country. So, all you colombians, sit tight. You know the truth.
Sure, there might be a few institutions that stand out, and maybe a few major areas of endeavor, but in general, the answer is a RESOUNDING 'NO'!

Now, don't ask this question anymore!!!
jaajaja.
Assign it to the 'F.A.Q.' column.
por favor.

Some say: All things are better in...Medellin! ....Oscar Lopez just says it's better.....LATE!!! (WHERE EVER YOU ARE)

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goin_south says on Mar 29, 2008, 00:23:

And, with that answer, ... this thread needs to be locked ;-)

Some say: All things are better in...Medellin! ....Oscar Lopez just says it's better.....LATE!!! (WHERE EVER YOU ARE)

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Mar 29, 2008, 02:02:

miamimike, this nuns had or have lots of money , this school is quite posh, the classrooms were state of the art, the whole building inside was excellent, but yes if you miss a payment they didn't let you no just into the classroom sometimes even the school bus everything was so expensive there, and imaging we were 3 sisters! I remember We only have one bible so we share it, sometimes i had to run from one building to another to give the book to my sister, if i got caught, they would had give me retention! they could not understand we could not afford 3 bibles costing 20.000 cop in those times!!! and the amount of materials they asked for...

engage brain before opening mouth

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Mar 29, 2008, 02:05:

another thing if the pressure if you are studying with wealthy students, they could afford anything i had to share it with my sister, they didn't care were the money came from and there was no help.

engage brain before opening mouth

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tomtom33 says on Mar 29, 2008, 03:19:

"to tomtom so are you saying we should do everyhting to damage children..as that all makes sense"

You are a fricking genius. With logic like that, you must have been the product of the educational system that you so disdain.

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miamimike says on Mar 29, 2008, 08:37:

kat1 says on Saturday March 29th, 2008 2:05:

another thing if the pressure if you are studying with wealthy students, they could afford anything i had to share it with my sister, they didn't care were the money came from and there was no help.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wow, very different then the school I went to. The Nuns were very strict though, lots of Public Paddlings, detention ect. If you goofed off and were caught in School, the Nuns would bring you the front of the class and have you bend over and touch your toes. They were behind you with a Big Wood Paddle and whacked you a time or two on your Ass for punishment. Girls got the same Punishment by paddling also. je je A Nun paddled my Buddy one day this way and she hit him so hard, the wood paddle Broke on his ass. That was so funny we all laughed and the Nun could NO longer paddle the rest of us as she had no paddle. Our Classmate Buddy was then a Hero of sorts, something like your Prince Harry is for going off to fight in Iraq.

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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miamimike says on Mar 29, 2008, 08:44:

another thing if the pressure if you are studying with wealthy students, they could afford anything i had to share it with my sister, they didn't care were the money came from and there was no help.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kat-When I went to a Catholic Highschool I will agree, the competition with the rich kids was something else and it was NOT conducive to good learning. Tom Ridge, Bush's director of Homeland security, went to the same highschool(catherderal prep, erie, pa) also and lived then in the public housing project in our city.

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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NataliaV says on Mar 29, 2008, 09:40:

I operate a tutoring & SAT/ACT prep center here in the states. I have two cousins (same grade) who attend and one was born here and the other just came from colombian less than 2 years ago. The one from colombia is on the same level as the one educated in the US system from the beginning. Now both of them are behind in their grade level, but I was very impressed with the one that just came here. She caught on very quickly and is actually excelling more than her cousin in some areas of reading/grammar.

As far as why people send their kids here to the US to study....many Universities here are known worldwide. A degree from a US University is accepted everywhere in the world. A degree from Colombia...Korea...wherever, is not the same. I know thousands of korean students especially that come here so they can go to a US college. I also have family that were doctors in colombia, but when they moved to the US cannot practice at all. It doesn't mean anything here. (when I say doesn't mean anything...a degree from another country may help you secure a job here, but not at the same level it may have been in your home country.)

In addition, when my mother came to the US from Colombia when she was 12, she was ahead of her class. She had already learned the things they were just teaching here. Of course, she was behind in language, but as far as math and other subjects, she was ahead.

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miamimike says on Mar 29, 2008, 10:04:

Natalia, those Colombian Doctors can practice here but only after they revalidate their coursework and sit for the US Medical Exam. If you are Cuban and here in Miami, courses are accepted across the board without revalidation. Only for them, the Cubans and what a break they get! I will tell you though, a Colombian friend of mine who graduated as a Teacher in Bogota came to Miami, trained and graduated as a Professional Registered Nurse at the U of Miami, worked here 15 years as a Nurse, returned to Colombia to take care of her aging parents. It was an extremely complicated process for her to work in Bogota as a Nurse as they didn't want to accept her U of Miami coursework and her Florida RN License meant nothing, nevermind that some of her original courses were taken at University in Bogota(psych, logic, math ect) so its not only the USA that makes it difficult for those from other countries to have their coursework accepted. Colombia does the same, at least to this friend of mine.

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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Cerealkiller says on Mar 29, 2008, 10:14:

I suppose it depends on the school and what you consider to be a good public education. I have always been very biased and always favored Colombian and European curriculums. I went to a school where i could get both the American and European diplomas and for my European Curriculum we had to take philosophy, greek, advanced maths, history, anthropology, economy and a language other than english or spanish... obviously, for us, SATs and SATIIs were retarded...That said, many of my university classmates are a product of the american public school system and Id say many of them have caught up with those who went to private schools, boarding schools, european schools etc...
If you want a well rounded child who can hold a conversation on medieval literature, realist art and negative dialectics I'd suggest you spend a large sum of $$$ in south america or europe...if you don't think that is necessary then your kid will do fine at any state school offering AP courses...

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives -John Stuart Mill

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MaFe says on Mar 29, 2008, 10:28:

Again, it all depends on the school district the child is in, and on the individual!

Rubito says on Saturday March 29th, 2008 0:20:

"I also think education isn't necessarily GOING to or SUPPOSED to translate into "wealth creation". That's really almost a uniquely American concept, that the primary or even the ONLY reason you get educated is simply to increase your earning potential. It's also very much erroneous. Most of the Fortune 500 never even WENT to college."

Very well put Rubito. Anyone, anywhere in the world can get any education now...getting an education wasn't like the older days...

I know so many people without a degree who are so smart, they amaze me when they speak polictics, philosphy, and current events. Degrees don't impress me, what impresses me is when I meet someone who can carry a conversation know what they are talking about. And when I come across someone with no education who are smart, I give them all my respect!

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. "-Aristotle

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Mar 29, 2008, 16:20:

Pow when I said there was a lot of truth in what you said about education I didn't mean that people shouldn't get an education because it's bad for them. I like the criticism directed towards schools and educational institutions in general because that's part of my job and I believe it's important that people discuss and challenge the prevailing educational strategies and policies.

Some people. like Einstein and other geniuses benefit little of standardized education and if he had gone to a nursery school he would have learned a thing or two....like to talk, for example. much faster.

I agree with you that schools are not very good at stimulating creativity; it is of low priority (unfortunately, because most educators don't understand creativity and its importance) but schools are great for teaching young people the prevailing norms of their local society.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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goin_south says on Mar 29, 2008, 16:43:

I guess you gotta go to Berkley, to be creative.

Some say: All things are better in...Medellin! ....Oscar Lopez just says it's better.....LATE!!! (WHERE EVER YOU ARE)

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Mar 29, 2008, 16:45:

The norms are almost always pretty non-creative. The norms are something a lot of people have to agree with and there's not a lot of room for creativity there.
An example:
here in Sweden we think it's very important that all children from age 1 on learn about democracy. It's like a red thread that runs through all the legislation , all the educational strategies and policies from pre.nursery school all the way to university. There's not much room for creativity in it; as a principle and the prevailing norm.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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Man Tequila says on Mar 29, 2008, 17:20:

I trained for even more than five years. I didn't learn much about driving a bus in central London, but the drug companies told me bleeding usually stops on its own. I did my best to keep this a secret from American, along with the secrets of fire and spelling. I hope his wife didn't stab him too many times in the arm as an "experiment". People sometimes forget Einstein was a university professor for most of his life, even people who know more about the immune system than its name.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

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manINred says on Mar 29, 2008, 18:35:

"Very well put Rubito. Anyone, anywhere in the world can get any education now...getting an education wasn't like the older days..."

That's not exactly true. It's not like one can just waltz into Cambridge or Harvard.

"Degrees don't impress me, what impresses me is when I meet someone who can carry a conversation know what they are talking about. And when I come across someone with no education who are smart, I give them all my respect!"

But there is no question that the right degree will help one develop professionally and in their field of study, also help one realize and understand the intellectual tools they have at hand. It generally only helps.

I think it is difficult to compare schools in Colombia and the United States because as has been pointed out, the levels of quality depend on region, social sphere, and many other factors.

It is safe to say that post-secondary education in the United States is far superior though.

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manINred says on Mar 29, 2008, 18:37:

And by the way, I doubt think that ANY primary schools in the United States are even close to as bad as, for example, primary schools in rural Narino are.

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goin_south says on Mar 29, 2008, 23:45:

sounds like....SUMMERHILL... desi.
relate, or no?

Some say: All things are better in...Medellin! ....Oscar Lopez just says it's better.....LATE!!! (WHERE EVER YOU ARE)

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goin_south says on Mar 29, 2008, 23:49:

"bleeding usually stops on its own," speaking as... internal bleeding?
if you keep up the same habits,... I doubt that.

Some say: All things are better in...Medellin! ....Oscar Lopez just says it's better.....LATE!!! (WHERE EVER YOU ARE)

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Chriscan says on Mar 30, 2008, 00:13:

I had a little time and curiosity to look into some data on this issue as
nobody has posted anything other than armchair opinions (myself included).
This makes me wonder how PBH members would rank compared to other blogs but we
probably don't want to know that answer.

Unfortunately, Colombia is not included in most of the studies that I have
looked at. But there was one that put it way at the bottom. I've looked at a lot of boring tables on international test
scores. Basically the U.S ranks right in the middle when it comes to
education. The trend is americans rank pretty high in there first few years of
school and as they reach grade 12 their scores drop to about the bottom third at best.

When the best students from each country are matched up, the americans rank way at the bottom
suggesting that if you have a bright kid, you would be better having them
educated anywhere else.

Most of the data I looked at was too specific to bother with but the following
link gives a good over all picture of grade school education in a number of
countries
http://4brevard.com/choice/international-test-scores.htm

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass

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Chriscan says on Mar 30, 2008, 00:26:

another armchair comment - I can't believe how dumb some people are who have degrees. On the other hand I can believe how smart some of the kids that sell crap in the streets are.

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass

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Man Tequila says on Mar 30, 2008, 00:31:

I have several friends who are teachers in Canada. Who tell me that their primary goal is to see that the weakest students get a chance to learn the material in a course. Giving extra education to the most gifted students is not their main concern.

Of course, lots of people drop out of school, never get to study calculus in the first place. And the smartest kids are often sufficiently interested to do more on their own with or without guidance from the teachers. I thought the standards at my high school were reasonable.

See, different countries use a different approach to education. Russia spends a lot of time on physics, and it took me a full year of engineering university to catch up with the best Russian students (but I did). India and China spend a lot of time on rote memorization, creativity -- not so important. Still, if you look at the OECD study comparing 15 year olds in various countries, Canada does surprisingly well.

"The OECD report ranked Canadian 15-year-olds in third place of 57 countries in their ability to do science, fourth in reading and seventh in math in the Program for International Student Assessment test, administered in 2006." http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=143990

As I recall, Colombiche said that when she was nine she could answer Canadian geography questions in broken English better than other folks in her class. Kudos, but what matters more is where that takes you and what you retain as an adult. This doesn't, by itself, mean standards are way lower here. The families I know from Asia do place a great deal of importance on their kids' education. Our high school had courses at the basic, general, advanced and gifted levels; the standards did differ from stream to stream, but at the higher echelons weren't so different from A-levels or even first year university.

The one thing they really could have done better was French. Took it between grades 4 and 13, they spent all that time yapping about grammar and vocabulary. And hardly any time on actually speaking more than a sentence at a time, or on understanding things more complicated than "Sol at the bakery".

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Man Tequila says on Mar 30, 2008, 00:45:

Colombia did not do well in the Third TIMSS study. Wealthy students in Colombia may get a decent education, but many folks do not. Many of the smartest folks I know don't have degrees at all. Colombiche also said you have to be pretty mediocre in Canada not to do okay, and I see this as something very positive about our opportunities and education system, despite the beefs.

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goin_south says on Mar 30, 2008, 00:52:

What really matters most, is if...
YOU KNOW HOW TO THINK, FOR YOURSELF.

THIS GIVEN.... you can acquire whatever knowledge, pass whateva exams, and form what eva business concern you want, and if you have a goal... then you can accomplish whateva it is you wish.

THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WITH GREAT EDUCATIONS.. who are living very mediocre lives.... more than they have to... (but, maybe it's what they want.... maybe not.)

Some say: All things are better in...Medellin! ....Oscar Lopez just says it's better.....LATE!!! (WHERE EVER YOU ARE)

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Man Tequila says on Mar 30, 2008, 00:56:

Life depends on a lot more than education. I agree with Rubito that the goals of education shouldn't be primarily financial. You're right about the thinking for yourself.

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Chriscan says on Mar 30, 2008, 01:54:

You reminded me of a program I saw on CBC a few years back on the person with the highest IQ in the United States. He was employed as a door man in a small bar for years. Too bad we couldn't swap him for George Bush.

************* WARNING ************* my words often come from my ass

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Robert Jorge says on Mar 30, 2008, 02:03:

My best friend growing up, is now the president of programming for WGN / Chicago Tribune. He was VP of programming for Clear Channel. He graduated in 1991, barely, from high school. He never went to college.

I went to college, got a degree, was a member of a social fraternity, and will be selling shoes next week for a living. What's my point? - I don't know. I feel pretty depressed at age 37 and doing the Al Bundy thing.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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kalder says on Mar 30, 2008, 04:16:

"people train to be doctors for 5 years and do not know the basic fundamentals about health why is that"

Bloody hell mate. Where do you get this stuff from?

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

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tomtom33 says on Mar 30, 2008, 05:48:

I don't know Uzbekistan from Tajikistan. But I manage to feed and clothe myself. That's what I get for getting a degree and ruining myself for life. If only I had been born in some country other than the US and had never gone to school.

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docwilliam says on Mar 30, 2008, 06:48:

Hey RJ, at least you are trying.
I give you all the credit in the world for that.

"There's no time to panic"

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docwilliam says on Mar 30, 2008, 07:47:

I believe that if a child can spend at least one year, in another country, it is an educational advantage towards peers in the US. The greatest and most valuable thing they can learn, is about reality. When they see people digging through the trash, begging for money, living in level 1 (or 0) housing and you explain why things are like that, they will learn.

When I was in Highschool, the idiots said that if you go to college, you will succeed. When I went to college, they provided a scale showing how much $$$ you will make, depending on the level of degree you receive. The major problem with all this is that an education guarantees nothing! Yes, the sheep's skin will get you through the door, but after that it's on you (or who you are related too).

You will not learn common sense in school but you can build on it, if you are exposed to the real world and see it with your own two eyes. (I am talking about our kids)

My daughter is studying Kumon, here in Colombia (originated in Asia). A system of learning mathmatics that will give her the edge over her peers in the US. Mathmatics are one of the major failures of our education system in the US.

And when it comes to getting into better Universities, at times, it makes the difference that a child/juvi/adolecent lived in another country, International Studies for example at Georgetown U.

Teaching and guiding our kids will do more for them than any school can do, on there own.

"There's no time to panic"

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kalder says on Mar 30, 2008, 11:59:

Natural healing? Is that the stuff they used in medieval times?

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

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Man Tequila says on Mar 30, 2008, 18:50:

Doctors spend hundreds of hours studying the immune system. Do you know thing one about it? How herbs affect it?

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goin_south says on Mar 30, 2008, 22:44:

one bourbon, .. one scotch,... and one beer!

Some say: All things are better in...Medellin! ....Oscar Lopez just says it's better.....LATE!!! (WHERE EVER YOU ARE)

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morphus says on Mar 31, 2008, 04:41:

One drink and one cigarette a day can do wonders for the immune system but who has that kind of self control?

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Man Tequila says on Mar 31, 2008, 06:16:

Every day your body is exposed to thousands of chemicals and pathogens. And fights most of them off just fine. Without pills, purgatives, herbs, colon irrigation or fasting. Your body is already devoted to detox.

What would I recommend to avoid getting sick? No surprises. Drink and bathe in clean water, practice safe sex, keep your immunizations up to date, get a flu shot, eat plenty of vegetables, get seven or eight hours of sleep, exercise, reduce the stresses in your life, eat small meals regularly, don't be overzealously clean, appreciate what you have, wash your hands more often and after you go to the can, avoid things that make you cough and don't let folks sneeze on you.

Immunity is usually so powerful that "strengtheners" like lemon, lavender oil, supplement X or vitamin B12 really couldn't add very much. Either something -- whatever pill or herb -- has a physiological effect, or it doesn't. If you can say what the physiological effect is, great. If you cannot, don't pretend herbs and supplements that genuinely do something are so different from other medicines.

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docwilliam says on Mar 31, 2008, 06:56:

Dont forget all the vitamin C you receive from drinking fruit juice.

"There's no time to panic"

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minina says on Mar 31, 2008, 08:55:

In my experience I say the academic level in Colombia is much better than in the US.
I did 11 and 12 grade in US. So from my point of view yes, education in Colombia is better.
Now there are exceptions in both sides, but generally is better in Colombia.

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lpdiver says on Mar 31, 2008, 09:30:

Thanks for the replies every one. I feel better getting some confirmation on my feelings on this matter. I wonder if it would be a good idea to home school her as well so she can have a US based high school diploma if she chooses to attend a US university.

T

"cook some rice!"

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docwilliam says on Mar 31, 2008, 09:43:

Check these out and see whether they answer you'r questions'. The first one is the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (I beleive). Hope it helps.

http://www.hslda.org/default.asp?bhcp=1

http://www.calvertschool.org

http://www.catholichomeschool.org/

http://www.setonhome.org/

"There's no time to panic"

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Albatross says on Apr 1, 2008, 08:31:

I just ran across this article (excerpted) written by Rep. Patrick Kennedy concerning proposed legislation:

"Over the course of our country's history, foreign-born innovators have made enormous contributions to our national prosperity. That much is indisputable. Companies like Google, Intel, Yahoo!, Sun Microsystems, and eBay have been founded by foreign-born entrepreneurs. As the global competition for talent grows more intense, we should take care to ensure that our immigration policies allow these kinds of contributions to continue. We need these people innovating, researching, opening businesses, and creating jobs here in the United States, rather than in China or India.

American universities regularly graduate American students of the highest quality, and our economy has reaped the benefits for decades. But American universities also produce foreign graduates of equally high quality. Our economy has benefited from their talents as well. In fact, between 1995 and 2005 one quarter of all start-up engineering and technology firms in the United States had at least one foreign-born founder. By 2005, these companies produced $52 billion in sales and employed 450,000 workers.

Unfortunately, our current immigration system practically begs them to go to our global economic competitors. It's like Microsoft spending years training a young employee, bringing them along at great effort and expense and then, just when that employee is ready to start paying dividends to the company, forcing them out the door to work for their competitor. That approach wouldn't make sense in the business world, and it doesn't work as national policy either.

For that reason, Representative Michael McCaul and I recently introduced the New American Innovators Act. Our legislation is very simple: it would exempt anyone receiving a Ph.D. from an American university from numerical immigration limits. Under our bill, these talented individuals would no longer have to wait for years on end before qualifying for a green card.

The individuals we are targeting with our legislation are the best of the best. A Ph.D. from an American university is the gold standard in higher education. These individuals are not going to take jobs from Americans, they are going to create jobs for Americans, as foreign-born innovators have done for years. How much poorer would we be as a country if people like Andy Grove, who received a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and whose vision and talent made Intel the company that it is today, had been forced to leave the country upon completing their studies?"

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

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lpdiver says on Apr 1, 2008, 09:19:

I am not for it. I think you would end up with a similar catastrophy to the equal opportunity and minority laws. A dual and more unequal system that does no one justice.

t

"cook some rice!"

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Colombiche says on Apr 1, 2008, 11:23:

Okay, read this out and repeat it really really fast several times:

“PINK CHEESE GREEN GHOST"
“PINK CHEESE GREEN GHOST"
“PINK CHEESE GREEN GHOST"
“PINK CHEESE GREEN GHOST"

Know what it means? Congrats, bilingual ed works!

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Apr 1, 2008, 11:39:

Pinches gringos?

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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Colombiche says on Apr 1, 2008, 12:23:

Okay, I got it rubito... it took me a minute... proof that the colombian educational system yields great minds ;)

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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Man Tequila says on Apr 1, 2008, 13:10:

Yeah, proof.

How long before Rubito trots out the greasy ass/de nalgas again?

;)

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Apr 1, 2008, 13:13:

Got it too, must've been 'cause I've gone to school in Colombia....

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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Man Tequila says on Apr 1, 2008, 13:14:

It's easier if you imagine it being spoken in a squeaky paisa accent.

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Colombiche says on Apr 1, 2008, 13:35:

"How long before Rubito trots out the greasy ass/de nalgas again?"

Ah, here I was thinking Rubito was going to ask us to read these letters out loud in english:

T N S L P P B N T S O

Jijijiiii..... I feel like I'm back in the 5th grade!

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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Man Tequila says on Apr 1, 2008, 13:56:

Rubito asked me to translate this into Spanish: 102 eggs. Guess it goes with the Tso.

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Colombiche says on Apr 1, 2008, 14:50:

Damn, rubito is being very bad today, he is going to get detention!

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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Man Tequila says on Ap