Wednesday, August 06, 2008 Colting: Education in indigenous people's context By Rogelio Colting R 4 D
(Grace Bengwayan and Jennyline Tabangcura guest write today's Research for Development Corner)
THE title of today's column was the theme of a forum organized by the University last August 1, 2008. August 9, 2008 is the IP day celebration, and the University deemed it appropriate to have an earlier activity relevant to August 9.
The resource speakers were Dr. Carlos P. Buasen Jr., Ceso III and Director IV, Office on Culture, Education and Health, NCIP; and Ms. Maria Lourie C. Victor, representing the Episcopal Commission on Indigenous People (ECIP).
Proud to say that both are IPs and both are children of past university officials (former president Lucio B. Victor and former executive vice president, Dr. Carlos T. Buasen, Sr. respectively).
Both speakers posed challenges to us as Indigenous Peoples or IPs and as educators. They have reconnected us with our ethnic roots, which we seem to slowly and unconsciously forget as we try to cope up with the swift changes in mainstream society.
In Dr. Buasen's presentation, it was mentioned that the present educational system has seemingly discriminated IPs thereby causing "detachment" or "alienation" among IP youth and their roots.
According to him, a prescribed yet irrelevant and insensitive educational system resulted in the following: IPs being uprooted from their indigenous culture and identity as manifested by low self-esteem and deep sense of shame because they are branded as pagans and anti-modernization; the erosion of their cultural character and identity especially those assimilated in mainstream society; exodus of productive portion of ICC/IP population to central areas or abroad; and IPs disowning tribal affiliation or causing community disintegration.
The present scenario of our educational system is best described by the findings and recommendations of the Congressional Commission on Education or Edcom formed in 1991.
Edcom found out that: a) access is difficult for IP students since most public schools are in the lowlands and recommends that government support should be given to DepEd-accredited IP schools in areas inaccessible to government schools; b) the curriculum uses instructional materials (IMs) and textbooks that are not relevant to the IP's experience and recommends the promotion of non-traditional approaches in the teaching-learning process and that indigenous IMs and teachers should be trained in their use; c) the teachers of IP students are from the lowlands who have irregular attendance, no special training for the education of tribal groups, and prejudiced against indigenous culture.
With this, the Edcom recommends the attraction of qualified resident teachers in rural areas, the appointment of para-teachers, and training of teachers serving ICCs.
The Edcom also found out that the educational system is not flexible to accommodate the economic activities of the tribes, resulting in high dropout rates and recommends that the school calendar should be flexible based on the way of life of IPs and that health and nutrition programs be introduced.
Seven years after the Edcom report, The Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (Ipra) of 1997 stated that "The State shall, through the NCIP, provide a complete, adequate and integrated system of education, relevant to the needs of the children and young people of ICCs/IPs " (Section 28) and; "The State shall provide equal access to various cultural opportunities to the ICCs/IPs through the educational system, public or private cultural entities, scholarships, grants, and other incentives without prejudice to their right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions by providing education in their own language, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning." (Section 30)
Incidentally, Ms. Victor led the participants to reflect on what is happening to the Cordillera youth and to our community. She posed the following questions:
* We have learned the competencies needed to blend with modern life but do we still remember the competencies that made it possible for our people to live all these thousands of years?
* We value our land for the resource that it is but do we still remember what "land is life" means?
* We have been encouraged to remember our dances, stories, songs, but do we know what they mean?
* We are growing to have a sense of being part of the Cordillera Region but do we, as tribes, know each other?
* We know our tribal affiliation but do we still remember our ancestry and heritage, do we live out the soul of our people?
* What is happening to our communities? Modern, but our cultures are vanishing, it is being neglected, abused or unprotected by younger generations, we have deteriorating community life and community of life and abused by tourism and the nation's economic directions.
A spin-off activity in the afternoon was a round table discussion with Dr. Buasen Jr. and Ms. Victor and members of the University Curriculum Committee and other concerned faculty members and staff. It focused on discussing doable activities to enhance appreciation of Indigenous knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSP), enhancing the curriculum with IP best practices, and continuing education on IP awareness.
Being a regional university, the possibility of establishing an Indigenous People Center in the University was likewise mulled.
