For a long time, people who grew up in El Salvador didn't always automatically receive a formal education, especially girls. And especially those who grew up in poverty, lived in rural areas, or had family obligations that came first. But now, thanks to President Nayib Bukele's education initiatives, some of those women are getting a second chance, whether they want to do it so they can get better jobs or simply for personal reasons.
Catalina Mendoza is one such beneficiary. She claims she's never set foot inside a classroom in her life and says she didn't even know what a school looked like until recently. Now, she's a star pupil in one of the Bukele administration's national adult literacy and basic education programs. Oh yeah, and she's 94 years old.
According to Catalina, it all started when her daughter, Teresa, who is 71 years old, decided she would return to school herself. Teresa only made it to sixth grade during her childhood, and she wanted to take advantage of the adult program to continue her education. Catalina told her she wanted to join her.
"I spoke with the assistant principal at the school and said, 'You know my mother wants to come and study here, she's this age, could you accept her?' And he said, 'Of course,' they told me at the school, 'Bring her,'" Teresa said.
Catalina, who is starting at the very beginning, at a first-grade level, said that initially she was embarrassed, going in with her "little bag" and being treated "like a little girl who is just starting to walk." But now she says she's "very happy" and enthusiastic to be there.
Her goals are to learn to read, write, and do basic math, as well as be a good example for her great-grandchildren, so that they will take their education seriously. She also said she'd love to become a doctor one day — she apparently has experience working as a midwife.
Her teacher, Ana Miriam Vasquez, says, "She's energetic and enjoys participating. Despite her age, she understands all the instructions perfectly."
Teresa says she's proud of her mom for taking the initiative at her age, and she likes to bring her to school and "show her off." But she says above all, she's happy to see her mom still following her dreams.
Adult education programs aren't new in El Salvador, but Bukele has made them much more accessible. The way he sees it, the only way to keep the country from returning to its violent past is to ensure its population is well-educated, and his administration has gone out of its way to do just that and remove as many barriers as possible.
El Salvador's school year began on February 2, and it looked a lot different from how it has in the past. Here's something I wrote about that last month:
There are about 1.2 million public school students in El Salvador, and every single one of them received a back-to-school kit to start the year. Kids in grades fourth and up got laptops, while younger students got tablets. They came preloaded with programs like Google Classroom, Microsoft Office 365, Platzi (for English and skills certification), and anti-theft tracking. Other items included were school uniforms, shoes, books, crayons, pencils, paint, and other supplies personalized to each child's needs and grade level.
But these kids aren't just receiving school supplies. They're getting new schools. In 2022, Bukele created an education reform program called Mi Nueva Escuela or 'My New School, and part of that included remodeling 5,150 schools over five years. All of the schools would have "free internet, new infrastructure and furniture, audiobooks, braille and sensory books."
Before the 2026 school year started, Bukele inaugurated 70 newly renovated schools. So far, he's done 504, and last year began speeding up the process.
Mi Nueva Escuela also ensures children have access to nutritious food and health care at school, advanced technology, and high-quality teachers who have gone through additional training. And it involved getting rid of El Salvador's outdated, rigid curricula and replacing them with something holistic that actually matches how children learn and will ultimately lead to better outcomes.
First Lady Gabriela de Bukele has been heavily involved with this, particularly when it comes to early childhood education. In January, she rolled out the new curriculum for younger students that incorporates more structured play, exploration, and creativity, and encourages better emotional and social development and, eventually, more well-rounded adults.
The kids aren't the only ones receiving the packages of school supplies. According to El Salvador's Ministry of Education, "Adults who resume or begin their studies in El Salvador will have access to the 2026 school package, a measure that expands the scope of the educational program and incorporates books, supplies, and technology for flexible modalities from first grade to high school."
That includes notebooks, textbooks for all subjects, and basic school supplies, such as colored pencils, scissors, a geometry set, pens, and pencils. They also receive a tablet or laptop.
"We are going to deliver school supply kits to students in flexible learning programs. This applies to all adults who, for whatever reason, were unable to complete their studies from first grade through high school," said Karla Trigueros, the Minister of Education. "The only difference between the school supply kit for a student enrolled in a traditional school and the flexible learning program is that we don't provide a report card, because they receive their education at different times. But they will receive all the books for the corresponding grade level and the necessary school supplies."
Best of all, Bukele's administration has paid for it without raising taxes. Previous leadership would pocket the money meant for schools, but Bukele's mantra is "The money is enough when nobody steals."
In addition to prosecuting corrupt holdovers from previous governments, Bukele implemented new anti-corruption measures, eliminated wasteful contracts, and partnered with the private sector to fund the country's educational programs. His crackdown on gangs and organized crime also played a role. When you have less crime in your country, you can spend more money on education and less on security, plus some of the inmates are actually helping build the new schools as part of their rehabilitation programs.
The crackdown on crime is also making it possible for adults like Catalina to continue their studies. Because of El Salvador's current stability, people aren't afraid to step out to do something like take classes in the evenings. In the past, it may not have been safe.
"We feel very safe, happy, enjoying our country, the last years of our lives," Teresa said of the security in El Salvador.
Catalina added, "Oh no, I'm delighted, absolutely delighted with Mr. Bukele. I'd love to meet him, yes, and maybe even hug him, and I'm already crying."
Here are the interviews with Teresa and Catalina. They're in Spanish (one has subtitles), but they're still inspiring to watch.
Note: The second video says Catalina is 91, but the Salvadoran Education Ministry says she is 94. Either way, it's impressive!
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