“Some of us that live in the cities, or that are from the centre of Mexico, have grown up with a lie that says there is only one Mexico, that we are all Mexicans” told me Salvador Ramirez Peña, a Jesuit missionary who has dedicated the last three years of his life to bringing urban Mexicans to indigenous communities.
Last December I had the opportunity to be a part of one of the groups he brought to The Heights, a region in the state of Chiapas, southern Mexico. According to the INEGI (National Institute of Statistics and Geography) 26 out of 100 inhabitants of the state speak a native language, and 7 do not speak Spanish.
Personally, visiting an indigenous region in my own country opened my eyes to a different reality, a parallel universe in Mexico. Definitely education was the most shocking issue, since it should be a basic right for society and sadly for indigenous children, this is not always respected.
“I learn mathematics, Spanish and studies of my Mayan roots” said Elena Gomez Santis, a 24-year-old indigenous woman from the Mayan community Naranjatic Bajo. She stopped studying when she got to second grade of elementary school because there were no opportunities to continue studying in her community. “If you want to study more, there are schools in Yatkeclub or Polhó where you have to walk very far, it takes a lot of time.”
Claudia Gutierrez, a religious worker and educator, confirms the difficulties faced by indigenous children in The Heights area to pursue an education. “The teachers sometimes arrive on Tuesdays, but leave and then come back Thursday or Friday. Very few teachers want to stay in the communities.”
Language is another barrier in education since not all indigenous youth speak Spanish and sometimes not even the teachers do correctly. “In the community there are mestizos and indigenous children (mestizos are people with Spanish and indigenous roots) but all of the education is in Spanish,” she says. “The children that are Mayan Tzotziles do not understand. They do not learn.”
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography in the state of Chiapas, 17.5% of the population over the age of 14 has no education and 45% have less than a primary education. Only 15% completed their primary education, 13% have a secondary education, and only 9% have pursued an undergraduate or advanced degree at university.
Comparing national statistics, about 98% of Mexicans attend primary school, 70% attend secondary school, and 28% earn a degree from a university or college.
(Andrea Arzaba, 2010)
I guess it’s a reality elsewhere in the world. Education—which is really very basic—is always lacking in developing countries.
Lack of education sometimes leads to chronic inertia when it comes to education.
If you don’t know anything about something, you are not likely to express any interest in it. Further, even if you have the chance to go to school, you might not care just because your parents, for instance, didn’t.
A vicious circle.
Andrea
Children in remote aboriginal communities in Australia face similar language difficulties at school. Sometimes English is their third or fourth language, not theri first.
Andy
Me da mucho gusto que no dejes de publicar este tema tan vasto y que gracias a personas como tú se difunde; finalmente no podemos dejarle todo al gobierno y tenemos que empezar a hacer que esos “derechos” como a educación, nutrición y salud en verdad se cumplan, y sólo conociendo los problemas y las situaciones es posible lograr un cambio.
Sin embargo, me gustaría que también publicarás la otra cara de la moneda, la educación de la vida -como algunas personas le llaman- por qu a pesar de su falta de educación formal son gente inteligentísima en otros aspectos.
Sigue así Andy!
Te quiero
We need to break this vicious circle, as Ivan say…but how would you do that?
Tus articulos son muy informativos y me d amucho gusto ver el progreso que has obtenido con el paso de los años…eres una niña muy inteligente y llena de talento que claro eres una muy buena representante de nuestro pais…en serio estoy muy orgullosa de ti y espero que con el paso del tiempo no te olvides de mi y cuando regreses podamos sentarnos a platicar..te quiero muchisimo…exito****
we will have to do something.
boat parts
I admire those people because even though that life seems too hard for them and they are less fortunate they don’t give up and continue to struggle. Maybe, I think sometimes that they don’t have a choice and if they don’t struggle they will die in hunger. Maybe, it was right but there is also other great reason beyond that, it’s their beliefs and faith with god that someday god will give them a reward for being good and contented.
I admire those people because even though that life seems too hard for them and they are less fortunate they don’t give up and continue to struggle.This is one great reason beyond that, it’s their beliefs and faith with god that someday god will give them a reward for being good and contented.
learn 2 speak Spanish