Ei-iE

The second Indigenous Teachers’ Parliament of Mexico has asserted the pressing need to include all educators in the fight for an integrated quality education system that recognises all cultures by beginning in the classroom.

During the three-day session of second Indigenous Teachers’ Parliament of Mexico, organised by Education International (EI)’s affiliate the Mexican National Educators Union SNTE, more than 400 indigenous teachers from all of Mexico’s regions gathered in the state of Sonora to define inclusive policies that “are at the core of quality education and the professional status of teachers”, in the words of the SNTE President, Juan Díaz de la Torre. He was joined by the Governor of the State of Sonora, Claudia Pavlovich, who expressed her region’s engagement for a quality and inclusive education, taking especially into account indigenous communities. “It is a challenge for us as Governments to provide the education infrastructure at the height of what indigenous children deserve”, she acknowledged.

The Parliament, which was created as a permanent structure for debate and advocacy for indigenous educators approved a Methodological Guide for the teaching of primary reading and writing skills. This document is specifically for the use of indigenous teachers and was developed jointly by SNTE and UNESCO. It aims at providing adequate tools for the classroom that are both effective and inclusive, putting a special focus on the strengthening of cultural diversity through social, cultural and linguistic elements.

The agenda of this year’s Parliament included workshops and round tables coordinated by the National Sector of Indigenous Teachers of the SNTE. The topics covered ranged from basic training, career development and the acquisition of teaching competencies in contexts of cultural diversity.