Indigenous Education Latin America

Poverty a Factor of Indigenous Children Scoring Lower on Tests

© Sandra Williams

Children in Mayan Village, Marie Gamache

Most Indigenous children have a lower quality of education and health care. Poverty and the fact that many of them have to work out of necessity are other disadvantages.

There’s between 22 and 37 million Indigenous people living in Latin America and many of them live in poverty. One of the biggest factors contributing to their disadvantaged position is lack of quality schooling. Indigenous students score much lower on tests than non-Indigenous students, but why is that?

Other factors that put Indigenous people at a disadvantage:

Environment.

A large percentage of Indigenous children work when they get home which also affects their schooling. In Guatemala, 24% of children work while only 16% of non-Indigenous children work. Poverty is one of the reasons many children work but there is also a positive stigma on children working in some Indigenous cultures. Regardless, it cuts into their study time.

Language

Health Care

Quality of School

If higher quality education and health care were made a priority for Indigenous children, it would give them a chance to get out of poverty. They should have access to better bilingual education as well as properly trained teachers.

Resources: World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, August 2006 (Quality of Schooling and Quality of Schools for Indigenous Students in Guatemala, Mexico and Peru, Martha Hernandez-Zavala, Harry Anthony Patrinos, Chris Sakellariou, Joseph Shapiro)


The copyright of the article Indigenous Education Latin America in Poverty is owned by Sandra Williams. Permission to republish Indigenous Education Latin America must be granted by the author in writing.


Children in Mayan Village, Marie Gamache
       

Comments
May 1, 2008 4:04 PM
Guest :
totally aggree with you... there should be more educated teachers in the rural areas...like you said "higher quality education and health care..." will give them a chance to succeed and they will be able to get out of poverty.
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