New self-confidence: bilingual education for indigenous peoples

The children of Guatemala's indigenous population speak Maya at home. In school, they hardly understand anything they hear, as the language of instruction is Spanish. Bilingual instruction helps them to advance: their basic education improves, and they learn to value their own culture.

Guatemala is the only country in the world in which the indigenous population constitutes the majority of the population. Sixty per cent of the 12 million inhabitants are descendants of the Maya, who had a complex written language and a sophisticated astronomy system. These days, most indigenous people have to struggle just to survive. There is little time left for schooling. Children, too, must work to support the family. They place little value on their cultural roots and are convinced that they can only advance in society if they learn Spanish and English.

The basic education programme being implemented by GTZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) strengthens the self-confidence and identity of the indigenous population. Education and an awareness of the value of their own culture will give the Maya descendants the confidence they need to seize opportunities and claim their rights, for instance to possession of their lands.
 
Throughout the country, GTZ is assisting around 20 schools that offer bilingual education. About 300 pupils attend each school, often walking many kilometres to get there. The teachers speak Maya to the children but also practice Spanish grammar with them. The programme provides in-service training for the teachers and provides them with instructional material about the Maya culture. In addition, each school has its own project, such as hygiene and waste disposal, in which the parents also become involved. Thus the schools act as role models in the village communities.

If you would like to interview a GTZ expert on this theme, please contact the Press Office.