Costa Rican secondary school teachers went on strike yesterday in education's latest push for better work conditions and pay.

It was not clear how many teachers participated in the strike before this article was posted, although the Education Ministry told reporters participation was low.

The High-School Teachers' Association (APSE) claims the government left its workers out of a wage hike the administration gave to its own functionaries.

“The problems are with the ministry (of education) and they're not giving us a viable solution,” said Beatriz Ferreto on Saturday, calling for teachers to begin taking action yesterday, according to the news agency ACAN-EFE.

Some students protested the teacher-government schism. Jazmín Núñez and Nick Espinoza, ninth-graders at Liceu Nuevo de Purral school, in downtown San José, where teachers were meeting about their next action. The students carried a sign that read, “We want a school, not a battle field!”