Educational crossroad for indigenous teaching

The school year ended last Wednesday in Napo province's bilingual schools. All kichwa students are currently enjoying their vacations or as bilingual education system calls it, their community time.

A kichwa student ready perform traditional music.

Naming vacations community time is another aspect of how the education system is viewed in kichwa culture. They feel that bilingual education is theirs, manifestation of their culture, who they are. It must be done in kichwa and by people chosen by the community of kichwa. Specifically amazonian kichwas of Napo province.

The amazonian kichwa people have produced their own educational system which includes a kichwa educational model and curriculum. Both are done based in the amazonic kichwa culture. They are very different from main model and curriculum in Ecuador. And there is no material for teachers or studenst to use.

Here lies the conflict. The Ecuadorian government and education office view education as their responsability. They give the money, they decide what is been taught and who teaches it. According to the constitution the language can be kichwa if the majority of the students are kichwas.

Singing and playing traditional music.

Two years ago secretary of education told bilingual intercultural system and kichwa communities as well as other indigenous communities that if they want to have a bilingual educational system, it needs to be bilingual. This is because in many places bilingual schools teach in Spanish.

After all, all the teachers study their degrees in Spanish. The school books that are given for free by government to the schools and students are all in Spanish.

At the same time, secretary of education demanded that bilingual intercultural education systems present their model for education that needs to fulfill educational demands. Amazonic kichwas have been very busy doing their own model and curriculum, and in many ways very successfull.

A kichwa kasike with his wife.

The model starts when a woman is bregnant. She is to be aided and guided by the community in traditional kichwa methods diet during bregnancy and parenting. When baby is born, the community helps the mother to raise the child to become a member of amazonic kichwa culture.

In communities this actually happens. Closer to cities and colonist (as Spanish speaking populations is called here) settlements many things of kichwa culture are lost or misplaced.

At two years old, the child enters the educational system which puts a strong emphasis in traditional values and amazonic kichwa culture.

Students getting ready to perferm a traditional dance.

This is in the idea case. The truth is, like I stated before, the teachers are trained in Spanish in Spanish speaking education system and most of them do not know or understand the amazonic kichwa education model enough to actually reproduce it in their classrooms.

It is fine to speak of the model. In my own opinion the model is excelent and for students with Special Needs, for their inclusion and special educations, the system that relies in communal learning and strong community sense and cooperation is ideal.

Special Needs studenst are taught from the beginning to be an active part of the community, together with their families. This has been an integral part of our success in the program, together with the fact that students are taught with their own language. And reason why we have been able to integrate the families back to communities, even when disability is viewed as result of evil and sin, and disabled people are called supay wawas, children of devil, or ghosts or evil spirits returned to torment the people.

A student with intelectual disability (middle).

Even with this cultural bagage, the kichwa communities have learned to embrace the Special Needs children as part of their community. Because community is one of their basic values. Being part of the community is integral to their identities. And starting from that, stating that these children, these people are kichwas, born kichwas and speakers of kichwa, makes them part of the community.

And when you are part of the community the community needs to make way for you. Find means to accomodate you and help you to become autodeterminant, independent and productive. When you are part of the community, the community even protects you from your parents if it's necessary.

So, now we stand before what happened two years ago. The secretary of education awaits for the model to see if it fulfills their demands, if it is to be put in practice... officially.

This is time of great opportunies and time of great fear. And the time table is tight. There needs to be solution in August since the next school year starts in September.

Students performing a traditional dance.

Kichwa people are fighting for their chance. Not marching and demonstrating like before. Now that is illegal. But presenting their case before education officials. The educational model has been presented to the secretary of education and there will be an official hearing next Wednesday, 24th of July.

Everything is in God's hands. Every prayer counts.