A Discussion with Dr. Rafael Lucio Gil, Academic Coordinator, Xabier Gorostiaga, S.J. Education Institute, Managua, Nicaragua
With: Rafael Lucio Gil Berkley Center Profile
July 31, 2014
Background:
As part
of the Education and Social Justice Project, in July 2014 undergraduate student
Gianna Maita interviewed Dr. Rafael Lucio Gil, academic coordinator of the Xabier Gorostiaga, S.J. Education Institute (IDEUCA) at Central American University (Universidad Centroamericana, UCA). In this interview, he discusses
the research of the Xabier Gorostiaga, S.J. Education Institute, the Nicaraguan Ministry of
Education, and Jesuit identity.
Can you discuss IDEUCA?
This institute was formed about 15 years ago, and it was an education reform program for Latin America. Right now we are working on five investigations with eight other countries that are intended to support education reform in the country. When this project is finished it will serve as a fundamental platform for the institute. The institute was formed with a mission to support education in this country in various ways: on the one hand with specialized training for directorial or faculty positions; on the other hand we do educational research in critical areas of this country’s education. So this place is also a mobilizer of ideas and of our educational inputs in the educational policies of the country. This is a little bit about our fundamental identity.
The institute also has had a direct relationship with nongovernmental organizations that work in education.
Who in the UCA community works at the IDEUCA?
The Education Institute has a special function right now, which is to coordinate a doctoral program in Social Sciences and Humanities, which is a program that we formed in conjunction with the Humanities Department… It is going to begin on September 11 [2014]. … The institute has two fundamental areas: research and educational development. In educational development, we work with education communities. Right now we are working with 40 centers in Matagalpa…that are mostly damaged centers in rural areas. We are establishing learning communities in those areas. This is one of the projects. Another project that we are developing has to do with educational innovation, by going to teachers in educational centers that have potential for innovation. So we are doing meetings about growth, sharing experiences, and supporting innovation. Theoretically, innovation is a function of achieving quality.
What can the IDEUCA do more effectively in Nicaraguan society?
International cooperation in Nicaragua has had a crisis, and that crisis continues as a product of fraudulent national and municipal elections. Some countries decided to protest because they cannot continue supporting it. Finally, some international organizations have returned…but they were very worried about the transparency of the elections… The government knew that some NGOs were uncomfortable, were more critical, and would not accept a lack of transparency. [It was] these organizations and the UCA that would not bend at the will of the government… We, as organizations, claim that we are autonomous, that we have our own criticism and critically support, so that is where the conflict comes from.
…[IDEUCA] accepted a project that the Ministry of Education requested to create a systemization of education experiences of an office of the ministry called the Office of Education for Youth and Adults. We were asked to systematize their process of learning to read and receiving basic adult education. We made a proposal for a long process that had training for a group of 70 people in the ministry so that they could learn to systematize it... Now we are in the final phase: in each of the six regions of the country, in 17 provinces, they applied our recommendations, collected information, and then we succeeded in creating a final report for each region… We are doing a synthesis of all of these reports for a national report.
…The ministry invited us [to work on the project]…but the UCA could not sign the contract at first for political reasons. It was resolved, and there was no problem; we did a good job, and the people were very happy. But it is always like this…because we [UCA] have an independent way of thinking that is critical. The university does not allow inequality or injustice…so at the end the ministry realized that it had to work with us on some things, because they were things that we can do that they do not have the capacity to do.
And this is the same Ministry of Education that you mentioned would not give press conferences?
No, in general, they do not consent to expressing their opinions because they are under the control of the president’s wife, Rosario Murillo; she is in charge of them. So if the ministry says something she does not agree with…
How does having a Jesuit identity affect the work of the IDEUCA?
The Jesuit mission makes us interested in people; we are interested in the population, we are interested in the sectors that have the most limits on their education. Public education in this country has many deficits and problems.
…[The Ministry of Education] is receiving our message of transparency, quality, fighting for justice, and fighting for those who have less education.
Is there anything else I should be asking about?
We are convinced that education is fundamental, but not just any education. An education that is subject to the interests of a political party cannot be one of good quality, because education is about developing a person who can criticize. If you teach a person how to do things but not how to think, or to only think one way, this is not education. We want to fight this, and so we write that we do not like the Ministry [of Education].
This institute was formed about 15 years ago, and it was an education reform program for Latin America. Right now we are working on five investigations with eight other countries that are intended to support education reform in the country. When this project is finished it will serve as a fundamental platform for the institute. The institute was formed with a mission to support education in this country in various ways: on the one hand with specialized training for directorial or faculty positions; on the other hand we do educational research in critical areas of this country’s education. So this place is also a mobilizer of ideas and of our educational inputs in the educational policies of the country. This is a little bit about our fundamental identity.
The institute also has had a direct relationship with nongovernmental organizations that work in education.
Who in the UCA community works at the IDEUCA?
The Education Institute has a special function right now, which is to coordinate a doctoral program in Social Sciences and Humanities, which is a program that we formed in conjunction with the Humanities Department… It is going to begin on September 11 [2014]. … The institute has two fundamental areas: research and educational development. In educational development, we work with education communities. Right now we are working with 40 centers in Matagalpa…that are mostly damaged centers in rural areas. We are establishing learning communities in those areas. This is one of the projects. Another project that we are developing has to do with educational innovation, by going to teachers in educational centers that have potential for innovation. So we are doing meetings about growth, sharing experiences, and supporting innovation. Theoretically, innovation is a function of achieving quality.
What can the IDEUCA do more effectively in Nicaraguan society?
International cooperation in Nicaragua has had a crisis, and that crisis continues as a product of fraudulent national and municipal elections. Some countries decided to protest because they cannot continue supporting it. Finally, some international organizations have returned…but they were very worried about the transparency of the elections… The government knew that some NGOs were uncomfortable, were more critical, and would not accept a lack of transparency. [It was] these organizations and the UCA that would not bend at the will of the government… We, as organizations, claim that we are autonomous, that we have our own criticism and critically support, so that is where the conflict comes from.
…[IDEUCA] accepted a project that the Ministry of Education requested to create a systemization of education experiences of an office of the ministry called the Office of Education for Youth and Adults. We were asked to systematize their process of learning to read and receiving basic adult education. We made a proposal for a long process that had training for a group of 70 people in the ministry so that they could learn to systematize it... Now we are in the final phase: in each of the six regions of the country, in 17 provinces, they applied our recommendations, collected information, and then we succeeded in creating a final report for each region… We are doing a synthesis of all of these reports for a national report.
…The ministry invited us [to work on the project]…but the UCA could not sign the contract at first for political reasons. It was resolved, and there was no problem; we did a good job, and the people were very happy. But it is always like this…because we [UCA] have an independent way of thinking that is critical. The university does not allow inequality or injustice…so at the end the ministry realized that it had to work with us on some things, because they were things that we can do that they do not have the capacity to do.
And this is the same Ministry of Education that you mentioned would not give press conferences?
No, in general, they do not consent to expressing their opinions because they are under the control of the president’s wife, Rosario Murillo; she is in charge of them. So if the ministry says something she does not agree with…
How does having a Jesuit identity affect the work of the IDEUCA?
The Jesuit mission makes us interested in people; we are interested in the population, we are interested in the sectors that have the most limits on their education. Public education in this country has many deficits and problems.
…[The Ministry of Education] is receiving our message of transparency, quality, fighting for justice, and fighting for those who have less education.
Is there anything else I should be asking about?
We are convinced that education is fundamental, but not just any education. An education that is subject to the interests of a political party cannot be one of good quality, because education is about developing a person who can criticize. If you teach a person how to do things but not how to think, or to only think one way, this is not education. We want to fight this, and so we write that we do not like the Ministry [of Education].
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