The Vice Minister Comes to Visit

There are a lot of changes happening in education in Nicaragua right now, they are instituting a new curriculum this year from pre-school through the third year of high school (which is now 9th grade but we all still say third year like last year). Next year the plan is to put into place the changes for the last two years of high school which is supposed to focus more on technical education (mechanics, carpentry, hands-on stuff). I'm curious to see how the changes will go through, right now we're doing review and supposedly on the 20th the new materials will be ready (but I won't be surprised if they're not, we've already been told that if not in February, then in March, and if not in March then August, and if not August then next year. I really hope it doesn't get pushed back to next year).

Hay muchos cambios en educacion en Nicaragua ahorrita. Este año tenemos un curiculum nuevo de pre-escolar hasta tercer año (un cambio mas es que tercer año es noveno grado pero todo el mundo todavia dice tercer año). El proximo año cuarto y quinto año va a cambiar a programas tecnicas. Supuestamente vamos a tener las materiales nuevas el 20 y si no el 20 entonces en marzo, y si no en marzo entonces en agosto y si no en agosto entonces el proximo año. Espero que no necesitamos esperar hasta el proximo año.

Anyway, the Vice Minister came to visit because in addition to the instituto or public high school where I spend most of my time, we also have a tecnico or a technical high school program that's run in a different location. It's pretty new, only a couple years old, and there are only a handful of similar programs throughout the country. The V.M. came to see the tecnico so I headed out there to be among the small welcoming party.

La Viceministra de educacion nos visitó esta semana para ver el tecnico, un programa nuevo que tenemos y no hay muchos programas parecidos en Nicaragua. Entonces fuí a conocerla.

Here are some students working on motors and cars:

Alumnos arreglando un motor y un carro:








One of three girls in the program (in total there are 48 students in three levels):

Una de las tres muchachas en el programa (hay 48 estudiantes en total en 3 niveles):



From right to left: the Vice Minister, the delegate for the Ministry of Education (MINED) for the municipality, the director of both the tecnico and the instituto, and three employees from Cemex (Cemex is the cement plant just outside of town, they donated a giant motor to be worked on and generally provide a lot of support to community projects here):

De la derecha a la izquierda: la Viceministra, la delegada de MINED, la directora del ambos el tecnico y el instituto donde trabajo yo, y 3 chicas de Cemex (Cemex es la cementera, ellos donaron el motor y da mucho apoyo al proyectos comunidades):




A welding demonstration:

No sé como se dice esta cosa en español!



I think the program they have going is great, especially in an area like this where not everyone can or wants to attend university and people often depend on their skills to make a little money here and there. My high school in Minnesota had a huge industrial tech department and even though I never really set foot there I knew it was extremely helpful to a lot of the kids who might not continue their education or would attend a technical college for two years.

El programa me parece muy bien porque hay mucha gente aqui quien no quiere ir al universidad y depende en sus propios habilidades para ganar dinero. My colegio en Minnesota tenia un programa similar.

Although I didn't have a chance to speak much with the Vice Minister herself, before leaving she did thank me for my support which was nice of her. We'll see how this new curriculum works out, I know my one counterpart is hoping that I'll be able to help him with new lesson plans so I have my fingers crossed that the materials we're waiting for will come on-time so we can get started.

No hablé mucho con la Viceministra pero ella me agredezcó para mi apoyo en las escuelas. Vamos a ver como sigue este curriculum nuevo, uno de mis contrapartes esta esperando que puedo ayudarle con planes nuevos y yo tengo ganas de empezar el trabajo (si tenemos las materiales!).