By Pueblo a Pueblo | Project Manager
After classes end for the day at Chukmuk Primary School, a small group of students circle back to the library for an afternoon filled with games, stories, and puzzles. “Today is tutoría day!” (tutoring day) exclaims Maria, a fourth grade student.
Last month, our Primary Education Scholarships Project officially launched tutoring sessions for the 2017 school year. Although the scholarships project began in 2006, our team added the tutoring component in 2016.
In communities throughout rural Guatemala, children face many barriers to a good education. There are limited school resources, overcrowded classrooms, and under trained teachers. With difficult economic conditions and underfunded schools, struggling students are often left behind. The result is persistent illiteracy, high grade repetition, and low levels of schooling (ENCOVI).
“Through our monitoring and evaluation results, and our meetings with teachers, we realized that some of our sponsored students needed a little more support in class,” explained Johanny Quieju, the project manager. “That’s when we began to develop one-on-one tutoring services.”
“When students fall behind in class, schools here don’t have the resources to support these children. Students then stop attending school, or even drop out,” Johanny adds. Students in our Primary Education Scholarships Project get individualized attention from Isabela Chichom, Pueblo a Pueblo’s Project Tutor.
Currently, Pueblo a Pueblo offers tutoring services in three subjects--Spanish, math, and science, for students between fourth and fifth grades. This year, 11 sponsored students are enrolled in the tutoring sessions at Chukmuk and Panabaj Primary Schools.
“I feel like I’m doing well in tutoría,” says Franco, fourth grader at Chukmuk Primary School. “Whenever I don’t understand something, I can ask Ms. Isabela for help. I feel more confident in class now.”
For Isabela Chichom, she’s encouraged by the development of Pueblo a Pueblo’s tutoring sessions. “We’re excited to see tutoría grow over the next few years, so that more students can get the support they need to succeed.”
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