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| Gisela de Quiros, who manages the Centro de Orientación Infantil, a nursery school which has received Children’s Bibles and other biblical material from the Bible Society of Panama. Panama City, Panama. Photo: UBS / Dag Smemo (PAN03DJ-68.JPG) |
PANAMA CITY, Panama — “We would like the children to learn important values before growing up,” says Gisela de Quiros, who manages the Centro de Orientación Infantil, a nursery school outside Panama City. “The authorities in Panama have decided that the teaching of moral values should be given priority in all parts of the education system, among all age groups. We have decided to link this teaching of values to the values we find in the Bible. This nursery is run by the state, not a church, but we have still chosen to use the Bible in our teaching, and have been given permission to do so. We do not preach to the children, but we teach them stories from the Bible and give them values they can use when facing decisions later in life. We feel that the Bible is the best foundation for values for both adults and children, and we obviously want to give our children the best.”
How do you use the Bible when teaching younger children?
We use Children’s Bibles, picture books, audio books, videos, art, readings and songs. Time is set aside twice a week for this project. Additionally, the subject of moral values is often raised during our daily gatherings. We have found that a combination of video and reading works well. We achieve lively and engaging storytelling from the video, and a sense of closeness when reading to the children.
How do stories from the Bible help the children develop?
We aim to help the children become articulate, gain a good knowledge of language and participate in discussions. The Bible is a useful tool because it is good literature with exciting stories and because it encourages reflections and important conversations on values.
Do the children have any previous knowledge of the Bible?
About 20 per cent of the children come from Christian homes, where the parents are members of an evangelical church. We have no tradition of Sunday Schools in Panama, though, so most children have little knowledge of the Bible or Christianity. Some of them don’t even know who Jesus is. We want to tell them about Jesus but have to begin with the basics.
Do the parents support the project?
Some parents have had reservations regarding the use of the Bible, but when they learn more about our methods and see the positive reaction from the children, most parents are positive. They can tell that the children are attentive and learning essential values.
How do you mark Christian holidays?
Before Christmas, we tell the children what the Bible says about Christmas. Many children know only about Santa Claus, not that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. Even in our country, Christmas has become commercialised and focuses purely on consumerism. We have to re-conquer Christmas. No material exists about the Christian aspect of Christmas, so we have had to produce our own. Easter is more problematic, because even the teachers don’t know what it is about. We try to think creatively and visually when we talk about Easter. For example, we will make an empty grave and use that as a starting point for teaching about the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Is there sufficient material for teaching moral values in nurseries and schools?
The Bible is the best text we could wish for, but we need material to help open up the Bible to the children. I wish I had material that I could share with the other teachers, too, to help them teach the Bible. The Bible Society hosts some fantastic courses for teachers. Over three days, teachers get help to teach and use the Bible. This enables them to bring the Bible to life for the children.
Are there other sources of support for this work?
All material on the Bible handed out
in schools and nurseries must be approved by the Roman Catholic Church,
to which 80 per cent of Panama’s population belongs. The Church
actively supports the Bible Society and uses the Bible in its schools
and nurseries. (WR 383/10 -1/2.04) 