“It’s much harder to bring legal information to adults than to children”

Last year, the republican review contest for The Best Teacher 2017 was won by Chynara Nurmanova, the subject teacher of Civil Law from the school named after T. Aybashev of the Kulatov Aiyl Okmotu of Nookat district, Osh oblast. She was awarded the title of Excellent Worker of Education“, and presented with a laptop and a cash prize. Chynara Nurmanova admitted that her achievements were prompted by close cooperation with the UNDP Project, organization of street theaters on legal theme with children, and taking various trainings.  

“I have embraced a profession of teacher by vocational aptitude. I’ve always wanted to teach my subject so that children were interested in it. In 2015, I began to closely cooperate with the UNDP Project “Widening Access to Justice in the Kyrgyz Republic, and, together with children, I organized the street theaters on legal topics, and participated in the Know Your Right Training. The experience gained during that time helped me to conduct my classes as interactively as possible”, –  Chynara Nurmanova says. “In fact, it’s much harder to bring legal information to adults than to children. I believe that using these methods within the project, we managed to change the worldview of many people, to wake up the desire to resist any undesirable phenomena taking place in life, to revise our life values ​​and make the right decision.”

Last year, Chynara Nurmanova having written a script called “The Trap of Indifference” in the framework of the contest entitled Legal Culture through Street Theaters, together with the children, theatricalized it and won the main prize. The pupils of Chynara have already made this performance in other ayil okmotus and within various events.

“I’m teaching Civil Law. Since this subject is about the rights of citizens, their duties, and the place of a citizen in the society, I realized that the project is very necessary for me, and I began to closely cooperate. I actively participate in all trainings and workshops organized by the Project, and then I try to use widely the knowledge received thereof in classes. At the same time, I feel that my pupils like my lessons and bring positive results,” Chynara says.

Recognized as the best teacher of the year by the republican contest, Chynara, the teacher from a distant region, had studied for the specialty of the Kyrgyz Language, but because of the staff oversupply, she became a social teacher and taught Civil Law. According to her, telling children about civil rights, one must speak of, and give a detailed explanation about, the obligations of citizens as well, because rights are valid where a person fulfills his/her duties. At present, it is necessary to convey as much information as possible about the rights of vulnerable populations because the rights of women and innocent children are most violated.

“I do not read books as I work all the time, and I don’t know much about human rights. The street theaters are good enough to raise those problems that are relevant to people and show how they can be solved in laypeople terms. I learned about the amount of material aid, how this or that document, or the birth certificate, can be obtained”,  Galdar Samakova, the resident of Kulatov Village, shared her impressions after watching the theatrical performance.

Chynara thoroughly prepared for The Best Teacher 2017 Contest. At first, the intra-school contest was held followed by the inter-district and inter-oblast ones. After passing all these stages, she received a permit to participate in the republican contest. The lesson on Civil Law was published on the web-site along with 34 open lessons selected throughout the country and received the most votes of readers.

“This project served as a powerful impetus for my development and gaining of experience,” notes Chynara eje. “First, I improved my legal literacy; second, I excellently mastered the methods and techniques of transferring knowledge to children through interesting games and interactive tools. And as to the street theaters, I can assure that their impact on children and the spectators is enormous because I notice how the opinion of a person who before the view did not know the way to solve legal issues is changing, and now he/she understands the depth and significance of using his/her rights and duties.”

“Knowing the rights and responsibilities is very important. The more a person has legal knowledge, the higher the level of his/her family prosperity; the legal culture of the society will generally be increased, and the government will develop along with that. Anyone can deceive people who don’t not know their rights and duties,” Alimov Sultan, the 10th grade pupil of the secondary school named after T. Aybashev, said.

 

“I think that with our street theater performances made in many parts of the country, we have had an impact on improving the lives of many people. We show the negative phenomena, which often occur in life of adults, through humor, tragedy and irony. I hope that the older generation will take it with understanding, but even if they do not understand it, we, the young people, should not repeat their mistakes,” Akimbek kyzy Asel, a 10th grade pupil of the secondary school named after T.Aibashev, said.

 

Meri Bekeshova, UNDP and MFA of Finland Project “Towards a sustainable access to justice for legal empowerment in the Kyrgyz Republic” project specialist

14/03/2018

 

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