work Apolinar Varela and Juan Pablo Dabdoub, from the University of Navarra, have conducted a field study in Colombia related to Education in values. It is part of the project 'Investigar y promote la Education del carácter en escuelas de secundaria en Latinoamérica', developed jointly by the School de Education y Psicología y el Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) and funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

They collected data in two schools, one with students of high socioeconomic status and the other with students of low socioeconomic status. They collected information on students and teachers through interviews, questionnaires and classroom observation .

"The schools correspond to very different models: the private one follows official lines but so adapted to its context that they fade a bit in content at classroom, while the public one follows central government guidelines," says Apolinar Varela.

Example of courage and humility

The researcher highlights that very different situations were found in both. "The students in the private school have the necessities of life covered, but they also face problems, such as spending time alone," he adds.

Regarding the public, the students often "suffer abuse at home, come from broken families, and their parents find it very difficult to combine family life and work," he says. He also points out that many come from rural areas, or from neighborhoods with violence and delinquency.

"Although these realities are external to the school center, they have repercussions on the behavior, attitude and relationships that children have in it," he stresses. In his opinion, they need "an authority figure, not so much one who imposes himself, but one who inspires them and gives them affection".

From the experience, he keeps "the teaching character of the boys to overcome all difficulties with a smile. They are an example of courage and humility".

The one in Colombia is the second work field work developed by these researchers in the project of the School of Education and Psychology and the ICS. The first was in Mexico. They will soon visit two schools in Argentina, one public and one denominational, supported by organizations and aimed at students of class leave .