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EDUCATIONAL
REFORM
As
a result of the Peace Accord, citizens initiated
countrywide dialogues on educational reform. Recognizing
that Guatemala is a multiethnic, multicultural,
and multilingual society, these discussions concluded
that specific steps must be taken to ensure that
the vision of multi-lingualism and cultural pluralism
is consolidated in educational planning and policy.
In those areas most affected by armed conflict
and social exclusion, the challenge is determining
how to strengthen bilingual education and to best
serve the interests of students in accordance
with the needs and views of the constituent population.
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Historically,
there is no precedent for teaching bilingual education,
and many teachers located in predominately ethnic
enclaves possess limited written second language
skills. In addition, neither pre-service nor in-service
training adequately prepares teachers for intercultural
understanding. Teacher training institutes need
to provide training in Mayan language literacy,
first and second language learning and bilingual
pedagogy, multigrade teaching methods, and/or
outreach methods for attracting indigenous students
to schools. In addition, there is a need to encourage
pedagogical under-standing of Mayan culture and
to translate teaching materials into Mayan languages
for educators in indigenous regions.
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Geography
