NicaNotes

January 29, 2026

Special Education in Nicaragua: Then and Now

By Katherine Hoyt

[Katherine Hoyt is retired Co-Coordinator of the Nicaragua Network/Alliance for Global Justice. She lived 16 years in Nicaragua, eleven under the Somoza dictatorship and five under the Sandinista Revolution. Material for this article comes from an article she wrote for the May-June 1982 issue of “Nicaragua,” the newsletter of the National Network in Solidarity with the Nicaraguan People (later shortened to the Nicaragua Network) and from current articles in El 19 Digital about present day special education programs.]

In 1980, at the beginning of the first complete school year after the revolution, the Sandinista government established special education schools in all of the country’s departmental capitals. Under Somoza there was only one such school, in Managua. By 1982, when I visited the Matagalpa school, there were 27 in the country with a total of 1,500 students.

At age 14, José Torres liked to ride horseback and take care of the chickens he bought with his own money. He also was interested in auto mechanics and drew well. This, however, was only his second year in school. Before the Sandinista revolution there were no schools for José and other children like him. For José was deaf.

The school that I visited in Matagalpa had 130 students registered: 79 with intellectual disabilities, 23 children like José (deaf or with hearing loss), 18 children with speech delays, and ten children with motor difficulties. There were other children with motor difficulties who were visited by therapists in their homes and some children came weekly to the school with their parents to learn exercises to practice at home.

Today, according to the Ministry of Education, 6,779 students with varying disabilities attend special education schools, of which there are 26, while 2,980 study in inclusive classrooms in regular primary and secondary schools. The Melania Morales Special Education School in Managua, the country’s first public special ed school, had 450 students registered to start the 2026 school year on January 26^th.

The school in Matagalpa in 1982 was in an ordinary house with limited classroom space and almost no yard. It was preparing to move to a better building with room for more classrooms and shops as well as outdoor space for sports and agricultural activities. Since the new school was a little way out of town, students would be carried back and forth in a small bus borrowed from another center for a few hours each day.

When asked about the specific needs of the school, the principal, Carmen Uriza, explained to me her long list of needs that began with a large bus of their own and funding for at least one more teacher, office equipment (such as a filing cabinet and a typewriter), educational materials, outdoor play equipment, sports and vocation equipment, as well as didactic materials and toys of all kinds.

The materials the school did have were either made by the teachers or donated by UNICEF or the local Rotary or Lions Club. The teachers had done an amazing job of creating educational tools from available materials. The counting box in the deaf students’ classroom was full of round sharks’ vertebrae painted in bright colors. Workbooks for the students to take home during vacation were made by pasting cutouts from discarded textbooks into notebooks in a manner appropriate for each student.

The teachers in the special education school had varying backgrounds. None studied to be special education teachers. Carmen Uriza, the principal, was a normal school graduate with training in vocational education. Ana Ubeda de Osejo, teacher of the deaf children, had two years of university level studies in geology. Jacoba Haar and Mauris Castro were primary school teachers which, in Nicaragua at that time, did not always mean special training beyond high school, or even completion of high school. The principal (who also taught) and the teachers had been prepared for their new roles by intensive vacation courses and Saturday seminars. Future teachers of special education, however, were being prepared in a new full course of study at the National University.

Today, in Nicaragua, all teachers have university degrees and the country offers a Masters Degree in Special Education. Special education teachers attend yearly courses that keep them up to date on the latest methods for the education of children with special needs, including children on the autism spectrum. Teachers are also prepared to teach special needs children in regular classrooms under the plan of inclusive education.

The Matagalpa school, in 1982, had two committees which helped it to function.  The first was the Parents’ Committee. The parents elected their officers and helped out in volunteer work at the school. The committee was affiliated with the Parents’ Federation, one of the revolutionary mass organizations. Meetings were combined with “Parents’ School” at which the parents met with their children’s teachers to learn how to work with their children at home. The other committee called itself the “Lady Volunteers” and was composed of women who were financially able to help the school with monthly donations. The Lady Volunteers were also applying for a small projects’ donation from USAID for the school. Although the Carter administration in Washington had, by this time, suspended all aid to the government of Nicaragua, non-governmental groups could apply for small donations of up to $5,000 which could go to the benefit of a school or other institution run by the government.

Ms. Uriza explained that for the children with intellectual disabilities, the two social goals were to enable the children to get along by themselves and to enable them to hold a job or engage in productive activity of some kind. In the academic area, the students would advance as far as they were able, in some cases as far as the sixth-grade level. At that time, the Matagalpa school had only pre-school, kindergarten, and first grade levels.

Due to the non-existence of these schools before the revolution, many older children attended now for the first time. Those over 14 years of age went directly into vocational education in a small shop on site.

In their work with the deaf children, Ms. Uriza explained, the teachers used pictures to teach the children the words they would learn to spell with a manual alphabet. Children with hearing loss learned to articulate sounds, beginning with the vowels. Ms. Osejo showed me the notebooks where the children had printed each word that they could pronounce with a picture of the object pasted down beside it.

At this time in 1982, teachers were using an international manual alphabet. However, at the Melania Morales Special Education School in Managua, students had developed their own Nicaraguan sign language. In a few years, it would become the object of international study and be adopted by all Nicaraguan teachers of the deaf.

The Department of Special Education in Managua had recently received a donation of audiometers from Czechoslovakia to measure the children’s hearing levels. The deaf students and students with hearing loss from each school were soon to travel to Managua to be tested and students who could benefit would be supplied with hearing aids.

All the children loved going to school. When I talked to the mothers at a parents’ meeting, they were unanimous in saying that their children enjoyed their classes. Mothers of children with intellectual disabilities emphasized how their boys and girls had improved in temperament while learning a great deal.

Aquilina Molina said that, when she first brought her daughter with intellectual disabilities, Luz María, to the school, she did not talk and was afraid to go out or to go down steps. “Now she talks, knows the names of some animals and other things and is not afraid,” said Ms. Molina proudly.

Most of the children who attended the Special Education School were very poor and some of them had suffered in the past from malnutrition. As a matter of fact, serious and/or early infant malnutrition was one of the most common causes of different types of disability in Nicaraguan children. The school itself was also poor and teachers had to “work with their finger nails” as Nicaraguans say.

Nevertheless, the revolutionary government firmly believed that poverty was no excuse for neglecting the education and health of the population. It was in these two areas that the revolution emphasized the voluntary participation of the people in carrying out projects that would be impossible without their efforts.

The Matagalpa Special Education School was able to gain the support of a group of middle-class and wealthy women who, when questioned about the revolution, responded, “Oh, yes, the Sandinistas have done many good things, BUT….” They were unable to accept the radical change in their country’s power structure, not realizing that none of these “many good things” of the revolution would have been possible without that change.

Note: If you have memories of your involvement with Nicaragua from years ago, write them down and send them to us! Even better if you have photos! Many of us are getting old and some of us have died! Leave a legacy! Write katherinechoyt@gmail.com.

Briefs

By Nan McCurdy

Excellent Evaluation from the IMF!

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the 2025 Article IV consultation with Nicaragua on January 20, 2026, praising the country’s macroeconomic management and highlighting GDP growth of close to 4% in 2025. “The Nicaraguan economy has weathered multiple shocks since 2018 thanks to appropriate macroeconomic and financial policies. And its solid fundamentals should help the country weather the headwinds stemming from current changes in the global political landscape,” it notes, observing that real GDP grew by 3.9% during the first half of 2025 and is expected to moderate to 3.4% in 2026. In the document published on January 26 in Washington D.C., the IMF notes that prudence continues in fiscal, monetary, and financial policies and will contribute to maintaining macroeconomic and financial stability, preserving fiscal sustainability, and strengthening policy protection mechanisms. It suggests diversifying exports, while strengthening economic governance and anti-corruption frameworks, which Nicaragua has been reinforcing since 2025, and which the IMF recognizes as significant.

The multilateral organization highlights that the Nicaraguan has appropriate macroeconomic and financial policies, significant liquidity reserves, low inflation, a declining public debt-to-GDP ratio, twin fiscal and external surpluses, well-capitalized banks, and considerable liquidity reserves. See IMF Report: https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2026/01/23/pr-26015-nicaragua-imf-executive-board-concludes-2025-article-iv-consultation  (Informe Pastran, 26 January 2026)

Honey Exported to Germany, Spain, and Costa Rica

The beekeeping sector recorded domestic production of 931 tons of honey in 2025, of which 776 tons were exported, reported Fabricio Mendoza, president of the National Commission of Beekeepers. The main destinations for honey exports are the markets of Germany, Spain, and Costa Rica. Mendoza pointed out that exports are essential for the development of the sector, given that honey consumption in Nicaragua is low. Expanding international markets helps sustain and boost domestic production. Mendoza added that, thanks to the support of various state institutions, national honey brands have been developed and beekeeping ventures have been strengthened through programs promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Nicaraguan Institute of Agricultural Technology, and other agencies, which also promote local consumption. The price of a barrel of honey for export opened at $540 and closed at $620; however, prices for this product have ranged as high as between $750 and $850. (La Primerisima, 22 January 2026)

Mammograms and Ultrasounds Planned at 74 Health Fairs

The Ministry of Health reported that during the week of January 26-31, general and specialized medical care will be provided to 144,550 families in 2,536 neighborhoods and communities throughout the country through 1,419 Health Fairs and Mobile Clinics.

As part of this program, 74 Health Fairs will be held with specialist care, mammograms, and breast ultrasounds through the “My Hospital in My Community” strategy. (La Primerisima, 22 January 2026)

Nuclear Medicine Services Expanded at Radiotherapy Center

The Nora Astorga National Radiotherapy Center in Managua has expanded its nuclear medicine services. [This is the center where people get state of the art radiation therapy, mostly for breast cancer.] The expansion includes the installation of nuclear medicine equipment called SPECT/CT/PET, which will allow for the assessment of internal organs, including the heart and brain, and the detection of risks of heart attacks or dementia. It will also enable diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up for cancer patients. (La Primerisima, 26 January 2026)

500,000 Vouchers to Children Across the Country

Co-President Rosario Murillo announced on January 23 that, as part of the start of the 2026 school year, the Sandinista government has distributed 500,000 presidential vouchers to children across the country. The vouchers are for C$2,000 Córdobas equivalent to US$55 to use for school clothes and supplies. During her regular address on Channel 4 Television, she provided details of the activities carried out in preparation for the school term that begins on January 26. Rosario said that 60,000 teachers have received training at all levels and in all areas of study. She also referred to the delivery of the food for school meals and the beautification of educational centers. (La Primerisima, 24 January, 2026)

Nicaragua’s Phytosanitary Control Among the Best in the World

Nicaragua is an international benchmark as one of the best agricultural health systems in the world, said Ricardo Somarriba, head of the Nicaraguan Institute for Agricultural Protection and Health (IPSA). “Every year we set up a line of work and improve it day by day, which has led us to become an international benchmark as one of the best agricultural health systems in the world, with a health status that no other country in Central America, Africa, Europe, or Latin America possesses,” he said.

During an interview with Canal Parlamentario, the television channel of the National Assembly, he explained that there are officials at IPSA with university degrees, master’s degrees, and diplomas, and that the institution’s laboratories received 12 international awards last year. Somarriba reported that in May, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will hold a multi-day conference in Nicaragua, and they will also spend a day visiting the IPSA’s phytosanitary laboratories.

The official said that Nicaragua has exported a greater amount of meat, coffee, and recently sugar as well. He said that there is a surveillance line for pests like the giant African snail, coffee leaf rust, different flying locusts, and worms, among other pests, including goats. “In the case of the borer beetle, which attacks coffee, we have the outbreaks under control, and the density will decrease soon, but the teams are continuing with their exploration,” he said. “This means that the technical team must have a high level of expertise in identification.” (La Primerisima, 23 January 2026)

IDB Confirms Strong Growth in Exports  

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) estimated that Nicaragua’s exports grew by 15.5% in 2025, positioning the country as one of the leaders in the Central America and Dominican Republic subregion, according to a recent report. This forecast is part of a broader analysis of foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the region as a whole could see a 6.4% increase in exports by the end of that year. According to the IDB report, the rebound in Central American exports would reach 11.5% in 2025, a remarkable recovery from the modest 0.7% recorded in 2024.

Nicaragua ranks second in this subregional dynamism, behind only Panama (44.9%) and ahead of Costa Rica (15.3%), Honduras (12%), and Guatemala (7%). In contrast, El Salvador shows the lowest growth at 4.6%, reversing a 0.8% decline in 2024 thanks to increases in sectors such as plastics, coffee, and meat preparations. IDB economist Paolo Giordano attributes this regional growth to higher export volumes and the resilience of countries, although he warns of “high uncertainty” for 2026.  (Informe Pastran, 23 January 2026)

Crackdown on Corruption

On January 27 the Attorney General’s Office (Procurador General de Justicia, PGJ) reported that before the Ninth District Criminal Court of Managua, a ruling was handed down, “declaring the criminal responsibility of the defendants Bayardo Arce Castaño and Ricardo Bonilla Castañeda for the crime of money laundering, in the form of fraud against the State of Nicaragua.”

“The judicial authority proved that the defendants participated in a concerted and continuous manner, in a structured scheme to conceal, manage, and circulate funds of illicit origin, derived from tax fraud. They used multiple commercial companies, bank accounts, and financial transactions to conceal the origin and destination of the money, seriously affecting the transparency of the national financial system and the financial interests of the State,” said the PGJ. Forty-nine companies were identified, of which 35 were actively operating to channel illicit capital flows from systemic tax evasion.

The two laundered money “using … fictitious loans and international transfers to Panama and the British Virgin Islands.” The report said that “These were not isolated incidents, but rather a complex financial operation aimed at integrating illicit capital that the defendants produced in the amount of US$2.7 billion and C$82 billion [Córdobas].” Press Release: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/2026/01/27/pgj-informa-de-juicio-y-condena-contra-acusados-por-lavado-de-dinero/ (Informe Pastran, 27 January 2026)