MY SCHOOL
Christianity’s world view was at the door of Buenaventura Corrales School. My mother, aware of my reluctance to attend, told me that she had to wait in line and sleep all night in a coffee sack to secure a spot in what was the best public school in the country. Buenaventura Corrales was in the Metal Building, a construction that ended up in Costa Rica because the Belgians failed to send it correctly to the South American country that commissioned it9.
There was a widespread pride that compulsory and free education was one of the great triumphs of this Central American country. Elena told me that in Poland, Jews had only recently been allowed into public schools and that Christians would throw stones at them. In Costa Rica, on the other hand, we had the obligation and the right to attend.
9 The Metal Building is a heritage building constructed in 1896, located in San Jose, Costa Rica, in front of Morazán Park. It is the headquarters of the Buenaventura Corrales School, one of the oldest primary education institutions in the country. It is one of the most representative buildings of the educational and industrial revolution in the country. Made of wrought iron, inspired by the design of the Eiffel Tower, it was designed and constructed in Belgium by architect Charles Thirion. It was then transported by ship to Costa Rica, where it was assembled. It was declared a relic of national historical and architectural interest on July 29, 1980.