‘Girl from Chayuco’ (Mexico) photo: Fernando Viveros (an entry for the Poster Competition)
the development of their children as
necessary for people to interact with
much as is possible.
their environments. The essential tools
2
Basic necessities of the communities;
are matched to the specific demands of
3
Family life and work;
The operation of the programme is
individuals, helping them to become
4
Local culture (economic system,
based on the following:
more competent in their daily lives, and
• Selection by the community of three community educators; • Establishment by the community of a training and learning centre in which
parties, traditions, and so on);
in their work as educational agents.
5
National culture;
By matching essential tools to the
6
Holistic development of children
needs of individuals, a series of
(health, nutrition, level of learning,
personal competencies can be defined
their rights, problems that affect
that, according to Sylvia Schmelkes:
them, and so on).
activities for children, young people and women can develop; • Formation of
SSS,
in line with the
cultures found in the community;
‘imply and embrace in each case,
Most of the people who participate are
at least four components. These
illiterate so the project encourages the
components centre on: information
development of literacy and numeracy;
and knowledge (appropriation,
• Home visiting; • Formation of community education committees that draw on self-
while the general approach is to
processing and use of information);
generate themes from these key areas
ability; attitude; and value.’*
and explore them using problemsolving techniques.
determination activities.
From needs to educational content
2
Sustainable community
As with the model from the state of
The basic learning needs are translated
Overall, the educational experiences
Mexico, the training of educational
into educational content via a process
that the women and children
agents – who we now call community
of selection from local and universal
participate in are articulated by the
educators – is the core of the project.
cultures (including child raising
problems that they share, and by their
practices), and from basic education
need to overcome the obstacles that
development; 3
4 5
Conditions within families and
Our focus is on basic learning needs
and pre-school curricula. This has
prevent them from having a better
communities that facilitate the
and the skills necessary to fulfil them.
produced a group of six key areas to
quality of life.
holistic development of girl
We call these the essential tools; and
prepare families, communities and
children;
they include calculation, reading and
educators for their roles:
Stimulation of role modelling by
writing, problem-solving, self-
parents for infants;
expression, and so on. To them we add
Development of parenting abilities in parents so that they can support
❍
* Schmelkes S (1991) Necesidades Básicas de Aprendzaje de los Adultos en América Latina;
Organisation and functioning of
Regional Office of
the theoretical/practical content – for
education services (daycare centres,
Caribbean, Mexico, p 33.
example, the values and attitudes
SSS,
B e r nard van Leer Foundat ion
32
Early Childhood Matters
1
learning/teaching centres);
UNESCO
Latin America and the