Coronavirus in Argentina | How is the daily life of the only school that works in the country

The bell rang at 8 in the morning like every day. The students raised the Argentine flag singing “Aurora” because in this school the classroom classes were not suspended due to the pandemic of the coronavirus. It’s about the School Number 38 President Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín, located in the Hope Base, in the Antarctica.

Víctor Navarro is the teacher and his wife Mariana, the director. His two sons Victoriano and Juan Ignacio study at the establishment. They attend school 14 students, two to kindergarten, seven to elementary school, and the rest to secondary school. The older ones study on the Internet, like the rest, when storms prevent them from reaching school.

Victor and Mariana’s dream was always to teach there. They met when they studied in Ushuaia and they got married. Years later, with the two children, they sent the request to the Argentine Army and were summoned. Is it is the second campaign on the white continent, the first was in 2018.

“Classes start at eight, but the boys arrive a little earlier to take off their boots, thermal pants, gloves, goggles, jackets and all the clothes they have to wear to defy the cold,” explained the teacher. . This Friday the temperature was 11 degrees below zero, and the thermal marked – 20 °.

In the morning they take traditional subjects, at noon everyone goes to lunch at home and in the afternoon they return to school to carry out other activities. “The tasks are more relaxed, the boys learn art, music and physical education, “Victor told this site.

Currently in the Esperanza Base they live 10 families. They will stay there until December, when the relays arrive.

Victor set foot on the white continent in December last year and his wife and children in February. COVID-19 was not yet discussed and there was no quarantine. There there are no positive cases, so everyone leads a normal life.

“Here We do not use masks, but we are aware of what happens not only in Argentina but throughout the world. Also doctors came to the school where the boys asked many questions to clear the doubts they had. We work on the recommendations that professionals give. “

And I add: “our wish is that the Argentines of the continent are well. We know that the situation is complicated, and we accompany them from thousands of kilometers. “