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Nicaragua’s Education Revolution: No One Size Fits All
By Becca Renk

(Becca Renk is originally from Idaho, USA. She has lived and worked in sustainable community development in Nicaragua since 2001 with the Jubilee House Community and its project, the Center for Development in Central America; she coordinates the solidarity work of Casa Ben Linder.)

In early January, Nicaragua’s Vice President Rosario Murillo announced that 500,000 school children will receive cash from the government to purchase school supplies.

“For this school year, which begins in the last days of January, all children in preschool, first and second grade will receive $55 each for the purchase of supplies to the child’s taste,” Murillo explained. “We think that this way we are better off because everyone will find the backpack and the notebooks they like, the ones that make them happy to start school.” This new initiative is an adjustment of government support for families with school-age kids which has been ongoing since 2007.

Revolutionary and Evolutionary

While Nicaragua’s revolution sticks to its fundamental principles – essentially those laid out by the FSLN’s Historic Program in 1969 – it is not afraid to evolve as well. This is what is meant when we say the Nicaraguan people are “revolutionary and evolutionary” – when a program isn’t working the way it was intended to, that program gets tweaked for improvement or even scrapped altogether in favor of a better way of doing things.

When the Sandinista government first came back into power in January 2007, President Daniel Ortega announced at his inauguration that public school would be free. The government had a huge task ahead of them just to repair the 27,000 completely deteriorated classrooms and train teachers – at that time, 47% of public-school teachers had no formal training. But the government also wanted to make education accessible for all families.

No One Size Fits All

In order to do so, the government started a program to give each student a pair of shoes – the most expensive part of the school uniform. Our daughter Eibhlín was in first grade when she got a pair of these shoes – but they were big enough for a sixth grader! It turned out that the shoe donation, while a great idea, was a logistical nightmare – getting a million pairs of shoes and sending them to each school around the country, it was impossible to hand out the right sizes to each kid. We parents wound up trading shoes within the school as much as possible, some parents even sold the donated shoes for money to buy ones that fit.

As a result, the revolutionary support for families evolved. The shoe plan was scrapped and the Ministry of Education began instead to give out backpacks with school supplies. Each year of elementary school, along with one million other school kids, our daughters received colorful backpacks full of notebooks and other school supplies. This year, the program to support families getting kids ready for school has again been tweaked in order to improve.

Blessings and Victories

In December, the Ministry of Education concluded a six-month long consultation process which involved input from hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and families across the country to create the new National Education Strategy, “Blessings and Victories.” This constantly evolving strategy is based on a student, family and community-led model which informs everything from curriculum to overall pedagogical approach. It’s also a time for families to express themselves on all aspects of education, including things like their preference to pick their kids’ backpacks themselves.

As a result of families’ feedback, the backpack program has this year been traded for a cash transfer. This new program will put $55 in the hands of the families at the time they need to purchase school supplies. This will spread out the $27.4 million investment in education among a wide variety of small and micro businesses around the country, creating a welcome cash infusion for Nicaragua’s economy. Additionally, parents are empowered to spend the money on what their children need most for school: with the C$2,000 they will receive on January 15th, parents can purchase not only a backpack and notebooks, but it will also stretch to purchase a uniform or other needed items.

Graduation Bonus

This school bonus program is similar to the successful unconditional cash transfer program given to high school graduates in Nicaragua. In order to incentivize students to finish high school, the Sandinista government has distributed this special bonus to high school graduates for more than a decade. The transfer checks are made out to the students themselves – they must have their identification card (issued at 16 in Nicaragua) to sign for the check. It is a day of “adulting” – for most, it is the first time they will cash a check in their own name. The first bonuses were $30 each, two years ago the program was adjusted and the bonuses were raised to $82. In 2024, there were 63,717 graduates; the bonus program represented an investment of $5.24 million in Nicaragua’s youth.

Getting your kids back to school is expensive, no matter where you are or what type of school they are in. It’s gratifying to know that this year, the smallest kids in public school in Nicaragua will have the support they need to get them back in class.

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Briefs
By Nan McCurdy

Presidential School Supply Checks Begin for Lower Grades 
On Jan. 20 the Sandinista Government began the delivery of the 2,000 Córdoba voucher (US$55) for children in preschool, first and second grade, in all public schools in the country. This money will allow parents to buy school supplies for their children plus uniforms or shoes. The activities at the schools are accompanied by face painting, piñata breaking and colorful festivals through the Leonel Rugama Cultural Movement. The Federation of Secondary School Students and the 19 de Julio Sandinista Youth are in charge of giving out the vouchers. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/inicia-entrega-de-bono-presidencial-escolar/ (La Primerisima, 20 January 2025)

Two Thousand Children Have Heart Surgery in Last Ten Years
Two thousand children have undergone free heart surgery at the heart surgery center located at the Manuel de Jesús Rivera La Mascota Children’s Hospital during its ten years of operation. During this period 79,000 echocardiographic studies have been performed and a total of 103,000 children with heart diseases have been treated. The center has highly trained personnel, high-tech equipment, including an extracorporeal circulation pump and high-resolution echocardiographs; it also has two operating rooms and an intensive care room to provide specialized, quality care to children. With the creation of the Cardiosurgery Center, the government reaffirms its commitment to continue improving the quality of life of children with heart problems. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/dos-mil-ninos-operados-del-corazon-en-10-anos/
(La Primerisima, 20 January 2025)

Beef Production Exceeded 358 million Pounds in 2024
In 2024, national beef production was at least 358.8 million pounds, 6.9% higher than in 2023. This volume supplied national consumption and also allowed for export growth. In Nicaragua, livestock activity represents one of the main economic motors that contributes to the generation of employment and income throughout the year. Beef is one of Nicaragua’s top exports and generates much needed foreign exchange. The National System of Production, Consumption and Commerce continues to develop programs that promote genetic improvement, cattle herd management and feeding techniques to achieve higher levels of production that are sustainable, profitable and environmentally friendly. (La Primerisima, 17 January 2025)

More than 53,000 Food Packages to be Distributed during January
In January the Government will distribute 53,718 food packages to Mothers of Heroes and Martyrs, people with disabilities, and vulnerable families. According to the program, 20,575 will be distributed to mothers of the fallen revolutionary combatants, 20,643 to people with disabilities and 12,500 to social emergency cases nationwide. The food packages will be distributed between January 27 and 31. (La Primerisima, 17 January 2025)

History Incorporated at All Educational Levels
“History and National Identity” as a fundamental subject in all educational levels is being incorporated in the 2025 school year. Modules and training courses will be developed for students at technical schools and universities, as well as updating the contents of the subject of history to be taught to primary and secondary school students. A training process has been organized for 65,405 university, primary, secondary and technical education teachers to be held from January 14 to 31, 2025, contributing to their knowledge of the history of the struggles of Nicaraguans and of other peoples. (La Primerisima, 17 January 2025)

Study Finds that Nicaraguan Program Increases Marginalized Women’s Income
The family economy program in Nicaragua includes a number of different programs that promote the development of the family economy. It is part of the Ministry of Family, Community, Cooperative and Associative Economy (MEFCCA) with input from INATEC (National Technological Institute). Researchers from Seoul National University and Yonsei University, both in Korea, and from Harvard University, conducted an in-depth evaluation of the Family Economy Small Business Program. This government initiative, launched in 2012, aims to support self-employed individuals in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, and commerce and offers comprehensive business training, skill-building sessions, and market access strategies. A distinctive focus is placed on empowering women by addressing gender-specific barriers and fostering female participation in entrepreneurial activities.

While the program showed no significant impact on the overall earnings of self-employed workers, it had notable benefits on women. Female participants with primary education experienced a 14.5% increase in earnings, while those with secondary education enjoyed an 18.3% rise. These results highlight the program’s ability to generate targeted benefits for marginalized groups. However, for male participants, the program did not lead to statistically significant changes in income. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers in developing countries with high levels of informal self-employment. Targeted interventions, like this program, can play a critical role in empowering marginalized groups like women. By addressing gender-specific barriers, such programs not only improve individual outcomes but also contribute to broader goals of income equality and inclusive economic growth. By enabling women to overcome structural barriers, the program contributed to meaningful improvements in their earnings and work opportunities. See Article: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/3226642-boosting-womens-earnings-the-role-of-nicaraguas-small-business-program  (Devdiscourse, 19 January 2025)

More than 2,000 New Minibuses and Buses Arrive from China
Vice President Rosario Murillo announced that this week President Daniel Ortega will deliver more than 2,000 minibuses and full-size buses in honor of the poet Rubén Darío (whose birthday is Jan. 18) and General Augusto Sandino (who died on Feb. 21). “Buses and minibuses continue to arrive from the People’s Republic of China; this time we are receiving passenger buses and tourist type buses,” Murillo said. She said that this week President Ortega will be handing over minibuses for the Departments of Masaya, Chinandega, Leon and Carazo. 140 minibuses will also be delivered in the Departments of Boaco and Granada, and in the municipalities of Bilwi, Siuna and Bonanza. She said that the buses for tourism will be for the Caribbean Coast and the San Juan River area. (La Primerisima, 20 January 2025)

Celebration of the Meeting of the Saints in Diriamba
In an atmosphere full of fervor and joy the traditional Meeting of the Saints was celebrated on Jan. 19 in Diriamba. The parishioners gathered to witness the emotional encounter of the venerated statues of Saint Sebastian Martyr, Saint Mark Evangelist and Saint James Apostle. The religious activity was full of culture and tradition, accompanied by the colorful dances of Toro Huaco and El Viejo y la Vieja. Also, the population enjoyed the traditional Picadillo, highlighting the rich gastronomic heritage of Diriamba. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/celebran-el-tope-de-los-santos-en-diriamba/ (La Primerisima, 19 January 2025)