NICARAGUA: TURNING THE PAGE ON ILLITERACY
More than 62,000 people to benefit from literacy campaign
follow-up programme (Yo sí Puedo). Feb 2011
From March this year the
Ministry of Education (MINED) will carry out a post basic literacy programme
for those who completed the initial ‘Yo si Puedo’ programme.
With support from Cuba
this will be carried out in two phases to take participants through to the
sixth grade. As with the original programme Cuba will provide a brigade of
advisors.
More than 62,000 people
will benefit from the programme, which will begin at the end of February
with the distribution of 113,000 television sets and DVDs to all parts of
the country. The programme will be carried out across the country with 440
video classes over two years in maths, science, Spanish, history, geography
and sound values.
Cuban ambassador Eduardo
Martínez highlighted the long history of solidarity between Cuba and
Nicaragua and the ‘Yo si puedo seguir’ programme continues this tradition.
“Our presence is part of an agreement to support the literacy and post
literacy programmes. Nicaraguans can count on the advice of our Cuban
specialists".
Francisco Palacios,
Director General of Literacy, explained that the programme will be
implemented at block level by 5,000 popular teachers. This will include
providing solar panels in zones where there is no mains electricity.
2010
marked the 30th anniversary of the National Literacy Crusade
Background: National Literacy Crusade
‘It’s
all about the loss of fear…the fear of expressing oneself, the fear of
learning. All that has gone.’
Catalina Torres, Nicaraguan Minister of Education, 1980.
Photo by Fiona MacIntosh
On July
19, 1979 the brutal, corrupt Somoza dictatorship, sustained in power for 44
years with US backing, was ousted by the Sandinistas. Victory came at an
enormous cost: 40,000 - 50,000 people had been killed out of a population of
less than three million, the country was in ruins, state structures had
fallen apart - no judiciary, no police, no army, and no state institutions –
and agricultural production was
paralysed.
The
provisional government set about rebuilding the country by creating a new
social and economic system. Within this context education was crucial in
promoting new social values and political awareness. One of the legacies of
the Somoza dictatorship was that half the adult population was unable to
read or write and one third of children never attended school. For this
reason the eradication of illiteracy was one of the highest priorities.
2010
marks the 30th anniversary of the National Literacy crusade, a
five month campaign starting March 1980
involving
the mobilisation of more than 60,000 young people who were dispersed to
every corner of the country to teach local people to read and write and to
participate in the life of the communities. The literacy crusade was also
important in building a new relationship between the countryside and the
city. One literacy volunteer commented: ‘I want to go into the
countryside and learn what it means to be a peasant in Nicaragua, to get rid
this stupid idea that here’s the town and there’s the countryside, that
they’re two different things. We’re all in this revolution together.’
Four
hundred thousand people learned to read and write, reducing illiteracy from
50.3% to 12.9%. The crusade was internationally acclaimed, recognised by the
UN when Nicaragua was awarded a prize by UNESCO in late 1980. Dr Juan
Bautista Arríen, Permanent Secretary, UNESCO stated: ‘The Literacy
Crusade impacted on everything that’s alive in a society. Nicaragua became a
well-spring that attracted so many visitors, publications, information. It
became a kind of beacon, a symbol of what a country can do, above all
through its young people. It was extraordinary.’
1990 - 2007
For
successive neo-liberal governments between 1990 and 2006 adult literacy was
never a priority but literacy programmes continued in some parts of the
country through the Carlos Fonseca Amador Association. When the FSLN
returned to power at the beginning of 2007 illiteracy had once again risen
to 25% of the adult population. For this reason, in July 2007 the new
government launched a national literacy campaign to be administered through
local councils with the aim of eradicating literacy by July 2009. …’ our
government must struggle not only with illiteracy, but with the ills created
by poverty, of which illiteracy is just one – it’s a social consequence and
a cause of poverty.’ Miguel de Castilla, former Minister of Education
Yo Si Puedo (Yes, I can) Literacy Campaign 2007 - 2010
Young people in Managua on a
training course to become literacy campaign facilitators. Credit:
Jenny Matthews
The
literacy campaign, as with the literacy crusade of 1980, has involved the
mobilisation of thousands of university students to work with community
leaders to carry out surveys and to act as literacy facilitators. The method
being used – Yo si puedo (Yes, I can) - was developed in Cuba and has been
used successfully in more than 30 countries including Venezuela and Bolivia.
The method takes into account the socio-economic reality of the students
including street sellers, women, indigenous people and low-paid workers who
missed out on school because of poverty. The method is flexible and based on
self-teaching. The students are assisted by a facilitator who provides
materials, equipment, logistical support, advice and encouragement. Students
are provided with a textbook and a workbook in their own language. Students
and facilitators are supported by the Ministry of Education or NGOs who
provide supervision and training while local councils give logistical
support. Eighty Cuban educationalists have also been involved in providing
overall technical support and advice and technical equipment was provided by
Venezuela.
'for people in Waspam on the Honduran border, literacy means the
opportunity to take more control of their lives, participate in decision
making,
write
letters, run their own small businesses and improve things for
themselves, their children and their communities. Their vision of a better
future is what motivates them, that and their realisation of the long-denied
right to education'.
Ruby Cox,
NSC chair, commenting on the literacy campaign carried out by
the Carlos
Fonseca Amador Popular Literacy Association on the Atlantic Coast.
Photo: Books and video equipment for the literacy
campaign on the journey down the Rio
Coco.
Yo si puedo teaching materials
Letter
written by a literacy student on completion of the 12 week ‘Yo si
puedo’ course
An independent commission created by the UN Education, Science and Culture
Organization (UNESCO) declared on June 22,2009 that Nicaragua had achieved a
nationwide illiteracy level of 4.73%, qualifying it as a country free of
illiteracy and making it the fourth country in Latin America to achieve this
distinction. The others are Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia, all members of the
Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA).
On August 22-23 this year, a Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign education study tour joined a celebratory
cavalcade making a 24-hour journey from Waspam on the Atlantic Coast to join
celebrations in Managua.
 We joined the cavalcade in the town of
Rio Blanco where we met a local shopkeeper who showed us his certificate
for completing a literacy programme during the 1980 literacy crusade.
Photo by Eileen Hall
Pickup trucks with people riding in the
back and
waving flags
echoed the spirit of the original literacy brigadistas of 30 years ago.
The celebratory energy which still fires the literacy campaign today was
obvious.
We joined the gathering crowd in Revolution Square. As the crowd waited for
the speeches, including from President Daniel Ortega and UNESCO
representative
Juan
Bautista Arríen, human pyramids formed topped
with
flag-waving men and women.
Participants
from the Atlantic Coast joined the celebrations.
The banner
reads: “Everyone, fists held high, books open. 30 years of the
National Literacy Crusade.”
Ruth
Moulton, a maths teacher and member of the NSC education study
tour, reports
on visits to
two classes
in Managua.
" In the first visit, Maria (67) and Noami
(21) (pictured) were completing a 12 week 'Yo, sí puedo'
course. Maria had learned to read and write during the first literacy
crusade, but lost her skills due to lack of practice. This time, she is
determined to use them at home and enrol on the follow-up course. “I
didn’t want to be in darkness - not to be able to read and write is like
being blind,” she said.
Noami had
been unable to finish her schooling because she became pregnant. The course
has given her another opportunity to continue her education and further her
interest in maths and literacy. The women explained the difference literacy
has made to their lives: the ability to understand and claim their rights;
to help their children and grandchildren with their school work; and to
support and encourage others to start classes. Noami explained it had been
difficult for her to be seen to join the course, but now she is pleased she
has and hopes to become a teacher herself.
The 2nd
visit was to the
Institute for Qualifications and Training (IHFOCATT), a school run by the Confederation of Self-employed Workers (CTCP) whose
members work in very tough conditions, often on the streets. It provides
free primary and secondary education for adults over eight years through
classes once a week on Sundays. Attendance increases students’ employment
opportunities. There are no fees for classes and the teachers are paid by a
Danish organisation.
Community worker Christina and hairdresser Claudia in a literacy and numeracy class
Hairdresser Claudia said learning both literacy and maths has
enabled her to manage her business. She can now negotiate micro-loans from
banks, whereas previously her husband or daughter had to help her. In the
past, unscrupulous people would try to cheat her, knowing she was illiterate
and innumerate. She described the courage she had to pluck up to attend
classes, and how she felt insecure and awkward. But she has been encouraged
and supported by a dynamic teacher.
Christina
does voluntary work in the community and visiting people in prison; she is
also a housewife. For her, literacy means the opportunity to further her
ambition to become a preacher and to help people learn the bible. She
described how being illiterate was like being blind but feels she has
improved a lot. Before coming to classes, Christina had tried to teach
herself to read, using the bible, but although this gave her a head start,
she did not have the skills to succeed on her own.
Saloman
works in bus stations, providing information for passengers such as helping
passengers find their buses. Reading and writing gives him access to
schedules and enables him to write information for passengers. He earns money when the
passengers or drivers pay him for his services or for attracting customers
to their buses. He is also active in his trade union (CTCP) with whom he
does voluntary youth work. His ambition is to become a radio presenter.
The students
consider the class an incredible learning experience and praised the
teacher's skill, dedication and patience. The class is very active and
dynamic, different activities are organised such as role play and small
group work so that the learning process is very steady and they feel able to
progress. I was
impressed by the dedication and motivation of the students. Everyone spoke
about doing their homework, on top of their day jobs and family duties.
Completing primary and secondary grades in this way requires a lot of
independent learning. The concentration and attention evident in every class
contrasted sharply with some of my experiences in the UK. The people we met
placed a very high value on education…to have the opportunity to learn as an
adult is considered a very precious and special thing."
Other work around
education in Nicaragua:
NSC and the
Unite Foundation support the literacy and adult education programme
2010
>>
Rio Coco Miskitu Literacy Project 2009
/ 2010
>>
Nicaragua Free of
Illiteracy !
August 2009
>>
Interview with Susana Morales,
coordinator of
the literacy campaign in Managua 2009
>>
Previous education solidarity activities >>
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