Without a doubt, the Erasmus + experience is one of the most enriching for both students and teachers. A programme in which most of the schools in Mijas participate. Today, we have visited the Los Campanales school, which has been visited these days by three teachers from three schools in Portugal. For a week the Portuguese teachers share the working day with the rest of the teaching staff of this school in Las Lagunas. "This is a modality within the Erasmus + programme called 'job shadowing'. They come to see the school, how it works, all levels, all aspects of the centre and we will possibly come next year to see how theirs works", explained Carmelo del Castillo, former coordinator of the Erasmus programme at CEIP Los Campanales.  Meanwhile, one of the Portuguese teachers, Isabel Prata, said that the experience was "very good, it couldn't be better. The reception is as if their home is my home. We really enjoyed the exchange of experiences. It is very good".

One of the differences they have been able to see is that the primary school stage in the neighbouring country is up to the fourth year, that is to say, the courses that correspond to the fifth and sixth years of primary school here in Portugal are already being carried out in secondary schools. Also, they say, there are some differences in terms of the knowledge that is taught at infant level, "the organisation of the children by age, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, in Portugal, it is not like that, you have children of different ages together", explained the Portuguese teacher. 

One of the things that the visiting teachers liked the most, they say, is the way of working in the Special Education classrooms, "they were amazed by yesterday's session with the animals for Special Education therapy", commented Del Castillo during the visit today. The programme is complemented by tourist and cultural visits outside school hours. 

The programme, they point out, aims to "make Europe", that is to say, to share experiences in order to find out how teaching is done in different European countries. A fortnight ago, three teachers and ten students from the school in Las Lagunas spent a whole week in various schools in Italy.

An unforgettable experience 

Some of the students who have recently participated in the exchange told us that "it has been great because we have met a lot of children, we have seen the city, we have tasted food and it has been super cool. We've seen lots of museums, we've been to restaurants, we've visited the city", said Lucía Carreño. Daina Belcacen said "I loved it, it was a unique experience and it was a lot of fun. The first day we went at lunchtime they were teaching us how to speak Italian and we were teaching them a bit of Spanish". For all of them it has been an unforgettable experience from which they have brought back many memories, "the museums, the friends we have made, the food which is very good, we have also met the mayor and we have gone to a mountain and, in addition, it was my first time on a plane", said another student, Alejandro Moreno. Without a doubt, the Erasmus + programme is a very enriching experience that more than one student hopes to be able to repeat in the next stage of their education.

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