Indigenous Education

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About Brazil
The Brazilian Embassy

Literacy and Education among Indigenous Groups of Brazil

A Brief Summary of SIL–Brazil's Philosophy for Indigenous Education

Fundamental Concepts

SIL's educational philosophy is aimed at the complete development of the person. The work of SIL in both linguistics and intercultural education is geared toward the rigorous preservation of oral tradition and of the social, cultural, economic and spiritual character of each indigenous ethnic group. The fundamental aspects of this work are based on studies made in collaboration with the indigenous peoples. They include:

Sociolinguistic analysis
Anthropological research (e.g. The Numerical System of the Palikur Language, Diferenças entre termos numéricos em algumas línguas indígenas do Brasil (in Portuguese))
Description of the language and orthography development
Respect for oral reading and publication of vernacular materials (e.g. Ancient Legends of the Xavante People)
Production of dictionaries and grammars
Comparative studies and the production of culturally appropriate material for learning a second language, whether that be the indigenous language or national language (e.g. A interdisciplinaridade: um processo cognitivo com ensino globalizado (in Portuguese))

When SIL began its work in Brazil, more than 30 years ago, the majority of situations were predominantly monolingual. Since then, SIL linguists have done literacy work beginning with adults, in their mother tongue, in rigorous obedience to the social structure and traditional authority patterns of the group. Although today monolingual cases are rare, SIL understands, based on scientific studies, that learning occurs faster through a known linguistic system than through one unknown or little understood. Adults assume the responsibility of transferring knowledge to those who will teach children; and the youth learn from adult members of the community within the formal social structure, preserving the principles of hierarchy and authority with which its members were raised.

Read the story of how the Kaingang learned to read. This illustrates the fundamental concepts of how SIL works in the area of indigenous education.

Informal Education

SIL’s involvement in Informal Vernacular Education includes:

Literacy in the mother tongue
Cooperating in the training of indigenous community authors and artists (see Complexidades Sociolingüísticas Ocorrentes na Tradução da Literatura de Autoria Indígena para a Língua Nacional (in Portuguese))
Assisting these authors and artists in the production of indigenous language ethno-cultural literature
Training indigenous literacy workers
Helping these workers use culturally relevant materials in literacy (see Learning to Read and Write and Learning for Life Situations; Dr. Francisco Gomes de Matos)
Production of post-literacy materials which will help the students' comprehension, fluency and the ability to become independent readers

Formal Bilingual Intercultural Education

In the words of Beltrán, a Mexican educator:

"There is no better process
than bilingual-bicultural teaching
to attain long-lasting results."

It is imperative that school be a factor in bringing traditional education together with non-traditional. The Intercultural Education Department of SIL offers a non-religious approach to education. Since the 1970’s SIL has worked toward a bilingual, bicultural (today called "intercultural") education methodology, specific to each ethnic group. Experience has proven that this is the best way for any people group to maintain its cultural autonomy.

Formal school teaching is the responsibility of the government, in its three levels. In the Federal Constitution, in the 2nd paragraph of article 21, one reads that "Fundamental regular teaching will be administered in the Portuguese language, with the assurance to the indigenous communities of the use of their mother tongues and their own learning processes." Thus the right of indigenous societies to a "specific, intercultural and bilingual scholastic education" is guaranteed, as established in the "Directives for a National Policy of Indigenous Scholastic Education", (MEC, 2nd edition, 1994).

The educational philosophy practiced by SIL is firmly based on the concept that where there are language barriers, literacy should be done in the mother tongue of the group. This is the cornerstone of its educational activity, which is rooted in many years of experience with widely varied Brazilian ethnic groups. The development of skills in the mother tongue is crucial to the cognitive process in general and as a base for learning a second language. See, for example "Um bom começo basta?":(in Portuguese), a presentation given at UNICAMP in Campinas, São Paulo, about bilingual work among the Terena.

SIL has often collaborated with government organizations in specific training, both beginning and continuing, of indigenous teachers, with special emphasis on the use of didactic material permanently written down in their mother tongue by them, their students and by other members of the community. It is necessary that these teachers carry out interdisciplinary teaching in perfect harmony with their culutral patterns and social organization, taking maximum advantage of the teaching and learning processes of their own people.

The work also presupposes continuous help and advice during periods of apprenticeship in order to deepen understanding of pedagogical techniques specific to the task.

In addition to closely monitoring teaching practices, it is important to maintain currency among indigenous teachers, by having them discuss and improve a specific contextualized curricular content, a relevant school calendar and a constructive, critical analysis of classroom experiences. The "National Curricular Reference for Indigenous Schools", published by MEC in 1998, will help teachers to continue constructing interdisciplinary curricula in accordance with the needs of the students in the various cycles of their own school.

Model for mother tongue maintenance in indigenous schools

It is worth pointing out again that indigenous schools should always encourage the students to value and preserve their own culture (see Diferenças entre termos numéricos em algumas línguas indígenas do Brasil (in Portuguese)) and to maintain the use of their mother tongue in three modes—oral, written and literary—while Portuguese is being learned and its use developed. Thus, the student and school environment will be enriched both culturally and linguistically. The goal is for the student to develop his or her bicognitive capacity for functional biliteracy with oral and written fluency in both languages, in all areas of learning, thus putting the mother tongue on an equal footing with the official language.

Gender & Literacy

Of the 860 million illiterate adults in the world today, over two thirds are women, therefore the task of educating women is a priority in the fight against world-wide illiteracy.

In many cases women are in a disadvantaged position with regard to schooling, many families do not see the need to educate women and often financial pressure means families can only afford to educate their sons.

Adult females are often inhibited from seeking education as the traditional roles (e.g. caring for children and families) or new roles that women take leave little time or indeed energy for either full or part time education.

Yet a United Nations study of 46 countries revealed, among other facts that

a 1% rise in women's literacy is 3 times more likely to reduce deaths in children than a 1% rise in the number of doctors.
for women, 4 to 6 years of education led to a 20% drop in infant deaths.

SIL International, too, has always considered literacy important. Throughout its nearly seventy-year history, in more than seventy nations of the world, SIL International has helped launch literacy classes, conducted teacher-training courses and published research on these experiences. We consider literacy to be essential for language development, and for the personal betterment of individuals and their communities.

Like water, literacy is a basic human need and right, not a luxury of the privileged. The women featured in the following narratives are committed to carrying this hope to others. As you read their stories, may you, too, be inspired and refreshed—and thankful for the possibilities and opportunities opened to each of us because someone cared enough to pass on to us the needed literacy skills.

Literacy Builds Hope (about Grace Paltuu, Ghana, West Africa)
Mother Tongue First (about Apep Banale, Papua New Guinea)
A Journey in Literacy (about Jey Lingam, Malaysia)
Literacy on the Veranda (about Margaret Nguaha’a, Solomon Islands)
“This is so easy!” (about Pelagia Mendoza, Peru)

UNESCO & Mother Tongue Literacy

In the document 'Education in a multilingual world' (2003) UNESCO has leant support to the case for mother tongue literacy issuing a number of principles which it sees as vital to improving educational quality. The guidelines state that:

Mother tongue instruction is essential for initial instruction and literacy and should 'be extended to as late a stage in education as possible'
Literacy can only be maintained if there is an adequate supply of reading material, for adolescents and adults as well as for school children, and for entertainment as well as study
With regard to teacher training and mother tongue instruction: 'All educational planning should include at each stage early provision for the training, and further training, of sufficient numbers of fully competent and qualified teachers of the country concerned who are familiar with the life of their people and able to teach in the mother tongue'

Literacy Essentials

Assessing Needs
Analyzing Languages
Planning Programs
Supervising Teachers
Designing Materials
Training Teachers
Instructing Learners
Producing Literature
Evaluating Programs

A successful literacy program consists of basic steps that require local leadership participation, from the initial steps of assessing the community’s needs to ensuring the literacy program can be sustained by the local community. The dynamic progression of establishing an alphabet and training mother-tongue teachers culminates with a local infrastructure that supports on-going literacy and materials production. Each step involves literacy specialists working side-by-side with community leaders, local institutions and national agencies to generate a nucleus of literates and teachers. A rewarding step is reached when a core of literature has been developed by the community that includes publications in health, agriculture, economics and local folklore as well as other materials of high moral value. Learn more about SIL’s literacy involvement at http://www.sil.org/literacy