he COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted Nicaragua, particularly in terms of education. While closing schools across the world forced education to rely on parents, Nicaragua never closed their public schools. This resulted in many parents making the decision to stop sending their children to school due to the high risk of exposure to the virus. The Nicaraguan government was compelled to create a new form of education to support those children who had left school by implementing other methods of at-home schooling—but with a lack of resources combined with political turmoil, this proved to be exceedingly difficult.
In Nicaragua, 85%, or about one million students, are enrolled in public schools. However, many public schools in Nicaragua did not have the proper infrastructure to implement COVID-19 safety protocols. In fact, about 35% of them have difficulty accessing water, causing trouble when enforcing safety measures. In some schools, teachers even found it necessary to bring water for kids to wash their hands. Teachers were also ordered to continue teaching and were directed to create their own safety protocols as the government had failed to do so. If teachers failed to follow the government’s orders, the Ministry of Education of Nicaragua (Mined) authorities reportedly sent threats to teachers.
Even before the pandemic, Nicaragua was struggling with classroom capacity. Many exceeded the maximum capacity of 35 students enforced by the Mined. This became even more alarming with the pandemic, as social distancing was one of basic measures proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to slow the spread of the virus. Instead, the president of the Nicaraguan Trade Union (USMN), Lesbia Rodriguez, found classrooms with as many as 45 to 70 students. Public schools do not have sufficient resources to divide students into smaller classes, drastically increasing the danger of spreading the virus. Additionally, children who attend public schools in Nicaragua oftentimes come from low-income families who were financially unable to provide their children with supplies to prevent the spread of the virus.
Mined has not specified how many children dropped out of school due to the lack of precautions taken to prevent spread of the virus, but the director of the Foro de Educación y Desarrollo Humano, Jorge Mendoza, discussed that attendance in public schools had reduced by 60%. To respond to this crisis, Mined began providing televised classes on for certain grade levels in March 2021. However, the classes only included basic topics for each grade and were displayed only on weekends, limiting the effectiveness of these programs as an alternative to classroom education.
On the other hand, many private schools in the country made the decision to close down and transfer to online teaching when the first COVID-19 cases were discovered in 2020. As opposed to public schools, private schools do have the resources to supply the students with essential needs to remain home while continuing their education. This will only exacerbate the gap between students from public and private institutions. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) carried out a report in Latin American countries, indicating that those students who attend a private school are more likely to attend university than those who received public education. As a result of the pandemic, these gaps are only likely to grow.
COVID-19 is not the only issue plaguing the classroom. It seems as though education is no longer the focal point in classrooms as politics have become the emphasis. Daniel Ortega, the president of Nicaragua, ordered the country to remain calm through the pandemic and to continue living their normal lives. Public schools were granted school supplies that included Sandinista propaganda—supporting Ortega’s presidency. Most textbooks used by students are plastered with stories of how citizens have overcome their struggles thanks to the Ortega government.
Amidst the constant struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic that loom over the citizens of Nicaragua, it is only a matter of time before they lose hope in their government and education system. As Sandinista propaganda in schools across the country multiplies, more children are indoctrinated to believe in the existing system. The number of students dropping out of school is increasing exponentially with no sign of slowing down. The government of Nicaragua needs to focus on restoring their education system before it is too late.
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Nicaragua Needs Education, Not Thought Control
Alamikamba, Nicaragua. Photo by DWagonerd via Unsplash.
July 7, 2022
While schools around the world closed to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Nicaragua the government kept public schools open. Unfortunately, a lack of resources and pushing political objectives over education may lead to growing inequality in the country writes Valeria Izaguirre.
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted Nicaragua, particularly in terms of education. While closing schools across the world forced education to rely on parents, Nicaragua never closed their public schools. This resulted in many parents making the decision to stop sending their children to school due to the high risk of exposure to the virus. The Nicaraguan government was compelled to create a new form of education to support those children who had left school by implementing other methods of at-home schooling—but with a lack of resources combined with political turmoil, this proved to be exceedingly difficult.
In Nicaragua, 85%, or about one million students, are enrolled in public schools. However, many public schools in Nicaragua did not have the proper infrastructure to implement COVID-19 safety protocols. In fact, about 35% of them have difficulty accessing water, causing trouble when enforcing safety measures. In some schools, teachers even found it necessary to bring water for kids to wash their hands. Teachers were also ordered to continue teaching and were directed to create their own safety protocols as the government had failed to do so. If teachers failed to follow the government’s orders, the Ministry of Education of Nicaragua (Mined) authorities reportedly sent threats to teachers.
Even before the pandemic, Nicaragua was struggling with classroom capacity. Many exceeded the maximum capacity of 35 students enforced by the Mined. This became even more alarming with the pandemic, as social distancing was one of basic measures proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to slow the spread of the virus. Instead, the president of the Nicaraguan Trade Union (USMN), Lesbia Rodriguez, found classrooms with as many as 45 to 70 students. Public schools do not have sufficient resources to divide students into smaller classes, drastically increasing the danger of spreading the virus. Additionally, children who attend public schools in Nicaragua oftentimes come from low-income families who were financially unable to provide their children with supplies to prevent the spread of the virus.
Mined has not specified how many children dropped out of school due to the lack of precautions taken to prevent spread of the virus, but the director of the Foro de Educación y Desarrollo Humano, Jorge Mendoza, discussed that attendance in public schools had reduced by 60%. To respond to this crisis, Mined began providing televised classes on for certain grade levels in March 2021. However, the classes only included basic topics for each grade and were displayed only on weekends, limiting the effectiveness of these programs as an alternative to classroom education.
On the other hand, many private schools in the country made the decision to close down and transfer to online teaching when the first COVID-19 cases were discovered in 2020. As opposed to public schools, private schools do have the resources to supply the students with essential needs to remain home while continuing their education. This will only exacerbate the gap between students from public and private institutions. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) carried out a report in Latin American countries, indicating that those students who attend a private school are more likely to attend university than those who received public education. As a result of the pandemic, these gaps are only likely to grow.
COVID-19 is not the only issue plaguing the classroom. It seems as though education is no longer the focal point in classrooms as politics have become the emphasis. Daniel Ortega, the president of Nicaragua, ordered the country to remain calm through the pandemic and to continue living their normal lives. Public schools were granted school supplies that included Sandinista propaganda—supporting Ortega’s presidency. Most textbooks used by students are plastered with stories of how citizens have overcome their struggles thanks to the Ortega government.
Amidst the constant struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic that loom over the citizens of Nicaragua, it is only a matter of time before they lose hope in their government and education system. As Sandinista propaganda in schools across the country multiplies, more children are indoctrinated to believe in the existing system. The number of students dropping out of school is increasing exponentially with no sign of slowing down. The government of Nicaragua needs to focus on restoring their education system before it is too late.
