Berkley Center

Background: As part of the Education and Global Social Justice Project, in July 2011 undergraduate student Codie Kane interviewed Leonilo Aguirres, an eighth grade teacher and school director in Nueva Trinidad, El Salvador. In this interview, Aguirres discusses the challenges of the education system, the role of local parishes in increasing access to education, and the future of education system in Nueva Trinidad.

Tell me about your experience as a teacher and community member. How did you arrive at your present career?

I began working as a popular teacher in the refugee camps in Honduras. During that time, there were no teachers. They had all left the region when the war started. The community looked to people who had learned a little to lead education efforts. They elected those who had gotten up to fifth or sixth grade to be professors. I had gotten up to sixth. I was elected in 1987 and began teaching first and second grade. I really liked it. I felt that I was helping to fill a need and that I was learning a lot from working with children.

I continued teaching when my family moved back to Nueva Trinidad in 1991. The war was still going on, and there were no schools or resources. The other popular teachers and I had to make do. Our classroom was a cloth strung between trees next to one of the houses in town. We realized, then, that we needed to be trained. This training was organized by the parish. They got professors to come here to help us catch up on our studies. Thanks to them, I got my high school degree.

I began studying at a university level in 1996 and got my teaching degree three years later. I was part of the first group of popular teachers to graduate from college. In 2000, the state implemented the [Education with Participation of the Community] program. It basically meant that, after more than 10 years of giving classes, the other popular teachers and I were finally officially recognized as teachers.

Describe to me the state of education in your community, Nueva Trinidad, from your point of view. What are the positive aspects? What are the challenges?

Here, in Nueva Trinidad, we’ve always had to manage everything ourselves. The government hasn’t really worried about improving education in this area, so they haven’t given us the resources necessary to do so. When the high school opened last year, for instance, we had to figure out how to cover the new classes with the resources we already had. We received no assistance from the Ministry of Education. It wasn’t until this year that they recognized that the same five teachers we’ve always had are not enough to deal with an entire new school. They approved a new position for a middle school teacher. Our school suffers from the fact that, in general, the government refuses to open more teaching jobs. In order to get by, we are forced to integrate grades. I have had up to three grades in one room. This inevitably hurts the students. If I have three different levels in one, I can’t teach effectively. I can’t give students the attention they need.

Now we have a new, leftist government. They say that they’re planning to improve teaching quality. They have implemented some small, concrete programs that are truly helpful. They have a food program that enables all students to get a free meal during the school day, for example. This animates the kids, especially those who come to school hungry. They also have a “school package” program in which students receive a pair of shoes, two uniforms, and school supplies without charge from the state. They still haven’t attended to the large, structural problems with education in this country, however. They haven’t gotten to the root of the issues. They have a visionary education plan, but they are doing little to make it a reality.

Other organizations have also played a role in supporting education here. Many of the parishes in the area, for example, have sister parishes in different countries that send assistance. Nueva Trinidad’s sister parish is in the United States. It has supported us a lot. It has sent delegations of volunteers to help teach English. It provides scholarship funds for students who want to go to college.

You mention the parish. What has been the role of the Church in education here, in general?

The Church supported us, the popular teachers, and organized our training. The priests from the Arcatao parish, Father Miguel and Father Nicolas in particular, prepared us to teach. In doing so, they laid the foundation for education here.

The parish also gives scholarships to help students pay for university. They get funds from sister parishes in the United States or Spain and then distribute assistance based on financial need.

The Universidad Centroamericana has a role here. They opened the distance learning program for education students in Las Flores, a town nearby. Students no longer need to travel to get their teaching license. This means that more are able to pursue higher education.

What does education here need to advance more?

It needs more resources, both human and material. For educational quality to really improve, we need the government to allow for more teacher positions. We particularly need teachers that are specialists. The high school lacks professors with expertise in English, math, etc. We also need technology and professors who are trained in using and teaching with technology.

How has education affected the community in general?

Since the war, education has improved here. All families in Nueva Trinidad now concern themselves with sending their kids to school. This represents a break from the past and an achievement. As it has happened, the community has developed. Now it is home to various professionals. These people were once popular education students but are now lawyers or business owners. They have brought with them professional services and money.

What’s the future of education here? What are your goals for the future?

I think education must and will improve. I hope that we will get more computer technology, teachers with specialized degrees, and better classroom conditions in general. The students deserve this. They should have a high quality, complete education. I want them to leave here prepared, with visions of a future full of possibilities and a desire to help their community and country.

How do you see the relationship between education and social justice?

I like to consider this relationship on a micro level, on a student-by-student basis. To me, it means ensuring that students have a complete education. They must learn good values. If my kids learn to think of others before themselves, I will have advanced social justice through education.

How has your experience of popular education impacted you? Has your time as a popular teacher impacted your views on education and your current teaching methods?

I’m still greatly influenced by my experience as a popular teacher. Here in Nueva Trinidad, we continue to try to adapt what and how we teach to the environment around us. For example, in other areas, if a student comes to school without their uniform, they are not allowed to enter. If a student does the same in our school, we take time to think about where the student comes from. We know the conditions in which the student lives. We would never prohibit him or her from entering, because this wouldn’t resolve his or her problems. We try, instead, to adapt ourselves to the issues that our population presents.

What inspires you and has inspired you in your work?

I want to help kids and to help my community in general. Seeing the amount of professionals who now live in Nueva Trinidad, especially those who have been my students, is a great satisfaction. Seeing real results keeps me going.