Educating children through their parents

Parents learning helps their children's education

In Nicaragua, around 40% of the rural population can’t read or write, such as not being able to read the morning’s paper or fill in forms. Often a child’s learning problems are blamed on their parents’ illiteracy.

Plan, in consultation with communities and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has set up ‘Circle of Adult Education’ project to address the problem.

Each evening parents from Villa el Carmen and Masachapa, two communities 40km from Managua, gather at the local school to practice reading and writing. There are currently 20 circles of adult education in the two communities and the classes, made of 6-15 participants and lasting 3 hours every weekday.

Plan’s project coordinator, Martiza Jimenez, points out that, “By educating parents children’s education improves. After attending the circles, parents can help their children with their homework and their self-confidence is boosted.”

The learning circles rely on the work of volunteer teachers like Ana Celia. Over the last six months Ana, a 27-year old school teacher, has been teaching a group of 15 adults in Villa el Carmen. She says, “When the parents first started coming to the classes, they were reluctant to communicate and very shy. Now, 6 months into the project, they are talking about everything, from problems in the community to personal histories.”

Ana Celia uses books from a library of educational materials provided by Plan. Reading materials include fictional books, Nicaraguan legends, popular Nicaraguan stories and non-fiction covering environmental and agricultural issues.

Evening classes held at local schools

Marta Lorena, a 42-year old mother, is one of Ana Celia’s students and mother of six. She has been improving her reading and writing skills. Marta and her brothers and sisters, did not have the opportunity to attend school. “Our mother did not see the point in educating us,” says Marta. Of her 6 children, 3 have completed their schooling and the youngest 3 are currently in school.

The majority of Ana Celia’s students are farmers and have lived and worked on the land for most of their lives. Learning to read and write is however not only helping their children’s education, but it is also opening up new opportunities for them. Now they can sign documents, seek other types of employment and participate more fully in the life of their community.

“Tasks these parents can now do at home, like checking their children’s multiplications and revising lectures, have a big impact on their education and their community,” says Martiza Jimenez.