Uneducated Grandmothers Around The World Reach For Education

Age 8, my grandmother traverses miles of jungle terrain. She passes through war-torn villages until she arrives at a modest four-room schoolhouse. Afterschool she crouches under a dim candle light, teaching her own mother to write. The local government had installed checkpoints in between their village and the market. Each checkpoint had a sign which read “Only the literate may pass”. Together they studied to overcome an accessibility barrier in order to eat. Eventually, chaos from the Vietnam War and the responsibility of sheltering a family moved the idea of an education out of arm’s reach. It was only at the age of 70 when my grandmother would attend her first and only college lecture. Visiting Harvard University, she marvels at the pillared buildings, praises the cafeteria food as the “best spaghetti” she ever had, and sits in a lecture hall, finally having a taste of the higher education she never experienced. 

My grandmother Ba Tran, raising a growing family during the Vietnam War.

Just like my grandmother, millions of elderly women around the world never had the chance to become educated. The UN reports 2⁄3 's of the world’s illiterate population to be women, many elderly. And although gender disparities in education have decreased over the years, “older people who missed out on education when they were younger were not getting the support needed in later life to improve their lives” (United Nations Statistics Division). This observation has sparked accessibility activists worldwide into opening school doors for a new type of student, elderly women.

Every week, grandmothers as old as 94 march through Phangane Village to Aajibaiji Shaala, an Indian school exclusively for elderly women. Here, they are taught to write and sign their own names, read books, play games, and practice healthy lifestyles. Yogendra Bangar, a teacher and the school’s founder, states that, “We must respect the grandparents in our house. The old age homes coming up in our country should not be made. Instead, if the elderly become self-sufficient, self-reliant, and happy, the entire family will be joyous and happy”. The inspiring story of Aajibaichi Shala demonstrates that it is never too late to give someone access to independence. Thanks to the school’s efforts, grandmothers can now enjoy a book and travel independently to a degree that was not accessible before.

Several schools in Korea have a similar idea. Bangrim Primary School has enrolled elderly students in response to the country’s declining youth population in the countryside. Because of this the school is able to stay open and Korean grandmothers who were once barred from education as a result of strict cultural traditions are able to learn alongside young students. “I dreamt of going to school with a lunchbox and a school bag on my back. I kept on dreaming that dream”, says Park Kyung-soon, she was born at a time where parents would get scolded for sending a girl to school. However, some schools, such as in South Korea’s Yaksu Village, are unable to be saved and are instead converted. Now, Yaksu Village’s primary school is a center for the elderly, dedicated to enriching their lives and continuing their education.

MyunGae Lee writing a letter to her son.

At Gusan Elementary School, 76-year-old MyungGae Lee attends class even on rainy days. She never misses class. Her motivation is to respond to a 25-year-old letter from her son who was serving in the military. Just before her youngest son had left for the army, his brother had passed away. Unable to write back and be there for her son, she believes that, “I think I failed to raise my kids well because I am dumb”. For this reason, she attends school everyday hoping to continue her education. 

These Korean schools provide illiterate grandmothers the opportunity to receive an education they never had. However, the relationship is reciprocal. The grandmothers become an invaluable part of the school community, imparting their own wisdom. By attending school with these grandmothers, students from a young age are taught the value of education previously granted along with the skills to be empathetic and thoughtful of others. Young Woo, a grade schooler at Bangrim Primary School explains that “The grandmas have difficulty walking so we help them by holding hands and walking together”. Yo Seo, another grade schooler shares “I teach them how to write Hangul”. 

Internationally, grandmother schools work to make education accessible to all people. They teach that providing accessibility is a mutual relationship, a way to deepen personal connections. They show that just like my grandmother, we can all work to educate each other. On school days we may wake up to our 6:00 A.M. alarm with a groan. After listening to these stories, we may think of education differently. Maybe we could all benefit from going to school with our grandma. 

Citations:

Samson, C. (2024, March 19). How South Korea’s grandmas are returning to school. NextShark. https://nextshark.com/south-korea-seniors-return-school

Schooling Korea’s grandmas. Al Jazeera. (n.d.). https://www.aljazeera.com/program/101-east/2019/9/5/schooling-koreas-grandmas

This is the aajibaichi shala - the Indian School for Grandmothers. World Economic Forum. (n.d.). https://www.weforum.org/stories/2017/03/this-indian-school-for-grannies-is-teaching-elderly-women-to-read-and-write/

Two-thirds of world’s illiterate adults are women, report finds. (n.d.). https://unstats.un.org/unsd/gender/News/English/The Guardian_Two-thirds of world’s illiterate adults are women, report finds _ Global development.pdf

YouTube. (n.d.-a). A 76-Year-Old Grandma Entered Elementary School to Learn Hangul Because... YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5MZ8XvpZBY

YouTube. (n.d.-b). Aajibaichi Shaala : India’s Unique School For Grannies | Times Now Plus. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ8MvwiVa9w

YouTube. (n.d.-c). India’s First & Only School For Grannies! YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arNVmBaF328