Primary School (Nouakchott)

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This is a primary school for students grades 1-6. Population of the student body is ~600 and the staff is 18.
The school is situated within a compound. The walls are ~10' tall and surround the school on all four sides. The only entrance to the compound is a gate on the western wall. The gate is iron and the same height as the walls, however it is loosely affixed to the walls by chains. The administrative building is the center building on the southern wall of the compound. It is a single room with one door and windows on the north and south sides. The northern most north-south oriented building on the east side of the compound is condemned due to a structural failure of the roof. This was the original building for the school, constructed in 1993. Construction dates of the other buildings is unknown. The other buildings are divided into two classrooms each with a small covered walkway in front of the buildings.
Each room has a single door and several large windows (~3'x3'). Each classroom features several desks and a chalkboard with a raised platform for the teacher.
Students seem happy and are served lunch by their parents in the school yard around 1100. Students learn Arabic, French, and mathematics. School supplies are limited and it is normal to see 4 children sharing a notebook. Teachers seem motivated and eager to teach and it is not atypical to see a teacher with a crop to discipline students.