Did you know that there are 84 indigenous languages in Colombia? Neither did I. Today, after three incredibly interesting meetings about the Ministry and its myriad of reforms over the past decade, we split up into smaller meetings to explore individual interests. While some of my classmates opted for higher education, international cooperation, or information systems, I chose to learn about the education of indigenous populations due to my particular interests in intercultural relations, migration, and marginalized groups.
As is the case in many countries, indigenous populations in Colombia live in very rural areas and have fewer educational opportunities, less access to basic social services, and are politically underrepresented. One response to this has been a World Bank program that provides funding and supplies to indigenous territories for ethno-educational programs that preserve and reflect ethnic values, traditions, and culture. There are currently such programs in 20 out of the 32 Colombian departamentos, with 12 ethnic languages represented. At the local level, territories create and submit their own program proposals that follow the “flexible” rather than “traditional” curriculum model within the country. This means that these programs are not required to follow any particular curriculum guidelines; instead they are more reflective of the local culture, allowing students to gain more practical experience in areas such as agriculture that are more pertinent to their environment.
As is the case in many countries, indigenous populations in Colombia live in very rural areas and have fewer educational opportunities, less access to basic social services, and are politically underrepresented. One response to this has been a World Bank program that provides funding and supplies to indigenous territories for ethno-educational programs that preserve and reflect ethnic values, traditions, and culture. There are currently such programs in 20 out of the 32 Colombian departamentos, with 12 ethnic languages represented. At the local level, territories create and submit their own program proposals that follow the “flexible” rather than “traditional” curriculum model within the country. This means that these programs are not required to follow any particular curriculum guidelines; instead they are more reflective of the local culture, allowing students to gain more practical experience in areas such as agriculture that are more pertinent to their environment.
These ethno-educational programs are devised as “co-funds” that enhance local accountability by requiring a small investment from the territory in conjunction with the World Bank funding. In addition, after the first phase of the program, training and implementation are conducted at the territory level to promote sustainability and local “empowerment”. All of the programs are bilingual (indigenous language & Spanish) and teachers hail from local communities. Some challenges that have arisen include finding qualified bilingual teachers of indigenous backgrounds, and the process of decentralizing management of the programs. To address problems associated with decentralization, the World Bank most recently decided to start sending supplies directly to local schools rather than through each territory's Secretary of Education which is more costly but allows schools to access their supplies more efficiently.
As my personal interests lie in multicultural education, I asked our speaker Astrid about indigenous education from the other end: Do students in urban areas receive any education about indigenous populations within their country? The answer was no, that very little effort was made in this area and the only ethnic group that students learn about in schools are the Afro-Colombians. Additionally, when asked about rural-urban migration, Astrid explained that although the rates of this migration were quite high, no specific program was in place to integrate indigenous students that make it to the city (either through displacement or work-related causes), and the only policies in place were aimed at helping those people return to rural areas.
Sophia Burton
Great observations Sophia. Why don't you offer some suggestions for them re broadening their definition of and approach to multicultural education?
ReplyDeleteSophia, I am an editor with Indian Country Today Media Network and would like to talk to you about a story on this program. Please contact me at lroot@ictmn.com. Thank you.
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