***The Dominican Republic is very diverse. Education is pushed and more readily available in the cities. The thoughts here are based on our experiences in a very rural part of the country. This does not a represent the whole country.***
Tonight a missionary stopped by to pick up some things. We were talking about a new Bible study he had started in one of the communities of Jarabacoa. He remarked that so many of the adults didn't know how to read and it was challenging to teach people that are not educated. While I knew exactly what he meant, his saying Dominicans were "uneducated" made me think about some things that I would like to share with you.
Of course, my friend meant "they" aren't educated in the same way he was educated. The truth is, "they" are very educated in what is necessary to live in their society. Dominicans are educated (prepared for life) differently than Americans. They have different values, opportunities, and resources. Their education is based on their life needs and culture.
In the past the things that school taught (reading, writing, arithmetic) were not as valued as learning to care for livestock, work the farm and the ability to fix just about anything with a rubber tube. So when I sit and talk with a man about my age who has been educated in those things, I realize how poorly my education prepared me to live in his world. I know very little about livestock, the farm, and I thought it was duct tape that fixed everything. Many of those my age dropped out of school for the more valuable life preparation with their dad or other family members. In one community I asked in a Bible study what grade everyone had completed. Most of the adults had only completed third grade.
Now this is changing. A higher percentage of Dominicans are completing 8th grade, high school and even college. And we see the impact. The younger an adult is, the more likely they are able to read. And we realize this will continue to change.
But what does this have to do with us and other missionaries?
First, we need to discover how Dominicans prefer to learn. When a Dominican wants to learn about a topic, what do they do? Most in our area don't have the internet. There isn't a public library in town. What do they do?
Second, we need to teach using their preferred learning style. If we can teach in a way that is natural to their learning style, they are much more likely to understand and pass it on to others.
On the other hand, if we teach them using our preferred learning styles (from the USA), they will probably smile and sit patiently but it is unlikely that they will "get it" or pass it on to others.
As we do this, we will see and value other forms of education. The mountain man who has had little of what an American would think of as "formal education" will be looked at with intrigue. He will arouse curiosity and respect. How has he learned to do so much? And with this new feeling, this uneducated American [me!] who is living in a foreign land will be able to begin his Dominican education.
