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Primary education undermines IPs, says UN forum chair

BAGUIO CITY (June 16) — Universal primary education undermines the indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination and make them more marginalized, observes Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, newly installed chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (Forum).

The Forum chairperson expressed concern for the Philippines, which, she said is the only Asian country which has enacted a law on indigenous peoples’ rights, and yet, has no education curriculum fit for its indigenous population.

During a press conference at the Prime Hotel, here, Tauli-Corpuz said the prevailing primary education curriculum worldwide even encourages more pupils to drop out. Aside from being insensitive to indigenous peoples’ rights, the present universal primary education does not employ indigenous language in schools, she notes.

According to Tauli-Corpuz, indigenous populations worldwide now develop their own educational systems where they use bilingual instruction. She cites that in Guatemala, Ecuador and Bolivia, where more than 60% of the population are indigenous peoples, an intercultural educational system is now being developed and encouraged.

Aside from the Latin American countries, Canada, Australia and the United States also have devised a primary education curriculum fit for indigenous populations, she said. Countries in the Arctic region, Tauli-Corpuz mentioned, also have government programs for the development of an intercultural education.

Universal primary education is one of two UN General Assembly millennium development goals (MGDs) discussed by Corpuz-Tauli with the Baguio media. The other is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. There are 8 MGDs in the Millennium Declaration the UN General Assembly declared in 2000.

According to the UN general assembly, all boys and girls must complete a full course of primary schooling.

The Forum, Tauli-Corpuz said, recommended that States endorse intercultural education as a national policy priority and review current national curricula and textbooks to erase culturally discriminatory materials and enhance knowledge of indigenous cultures.

Tauli-Corpuz also said that States should also ensure that indigenous children have access to free primary quality education, and develop bilingual and culturally appropriate education for them to reduce dropout rates.

“In the Philippines, however, the Department of Education (DepEd) puts a premium on addressing the need for more classrooms, rather than developing the curriculum to include changes to accommodate indigenous peoples’ education,” Tauli-Corpuz laments.

She said, much is still to be done to make the education curriculum relevant to indigenous peoples. She welcomes the idea that the DepEd should be more autonomous and that it now gives educators enough leeway to develop a more appropriate teaching module. She also enjoins the education officials to program trainings for teachers and educators. She also hopes that teachers change their mindset and the prevailing view that indigenous peoples are backward.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has reportedly outlined some of the basic elements for intercultural education to include areas such as traditional knowledge and wells of culture.

“This is still a long way to go,” Tauli-Corpuz commented.

The Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues is a product of systematic organizing and lobbying to address persistent issues involving indigenous peoples. Tauli-Corpuz, of the Mountain Province Kankanaey tribe, is the second chair since its creation by the UN general assembly in 2000. She is one of two representatives to this body selected from Asia. The other is Parshuram Tamang from Nepal. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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