school desertion

Went back to Asunción to help present a session on desertion (kids leaving school) to the new trainees on April 7, and I’m so glad I did. I remember that session having a big impact on me two years ago, and it’s nice to bring it full circle. I don’t know the exact statistic, but a quick estimate of classrooms in the district of Tacuati shows more than 200 students in first grade, and 20 high school seniors, which means that 90% of our students don’t graduate high school. I think in 9^th grade we have 40 students, so 80% drop out before 9^th grade, and in 6^th grades there can’t be more than a hundred students, which means that an estimated FIFTY PERCENT OF THE KIDS WON’T HAVE MORE THAN A SIXTH GRADE EDUCATION. Amazing.

Basically the trainees brainstormed the reasons why kids drop out of school – they can’t afford the uniforms or materials, the school is too far, parents won’t let daughters walk to school alone, the kids need to work to bring in money, the teaching isn’t relevant or effective anyway, health problems that make it difficult to learn or concentrate, teen pregnancy, families that don’t value education (or kids with no families at all), etc. etc.

Some of these problems are out of the kids’ or families’ control, and many of them are out of the control of PCVs, but we also talked about how it’s possible to do something to address some of these issues, such as organize fundraising activities to raise money for school uniforms, implement big anti-intestinal parasite programs, help teachers improve the quality of their teaching, and raise parental awareness about the importance of school.

And then we thought about the effects of an uneducated population on a country, and just like last time, the list gave me chills. Paraguay’s problems are complex, but many of them are tied directly to school desertion. An uneducated population lacks self-confidence and initiative, is easily coerced or taken advantage of, tends to look to an outside authoritative figure to have all the answers, has poor health and few job opportunities, and generally lacks a sense of empowerment to take control of their own lives.

There’s so much left to do, it almost makes me want to sign up for another 2 years. Almost.