The school has indirectly benefited from tourism — we received a little money from the development fees tourists pay, and used it to build a double teachers' house. The living and sleeping areas are finished, but we still need to complete the bathroom and kitchen, and the money's run out. We also need a typewriter and other materials. There are only nine of us teaching 958 children, so we're looking at more than a hundred students per class. Setting exams means an enormous amount of writing by hand — a typewriter would help enormously. So would more teachers, of course.
We only work with nine teachers in this school, and 958 children, so we have more than a hundred students per class.
Only a small percentage of children who start primary school go on to secondary school; most drop out. Some of those who leave go looking for work in other towns — some come back eventually, some never do. Most young people who earn money elsewhere send part of it home to support their families.
The children love seeing tourists — they laugh and play with them. They'd probably like to dress like them too, but the economic reality here doesn't leave much room for that kind of imitation.
Most people here don't really profit from tourism at all — only those who run a guesthouse, restaurant, or shop do.
A house that's half a home, and a classroom stretched far past what nine teachers can really cover.