An Intercultural Education for Mexico: Career and Contributions of Sylvia Schmelkes

Abstract

This article introduces Sylvia Schmelkes’s contributions in the field of intercultural education. An outstanding Mexican educational researcher, Schmelkes was General Coordinator of the Intercultural and Bilingual General Coordination (GCIBE) at the Mexican Ministry of Public Education from its inception in 2001 until 2007. This article provides a perspective on interculturality and a brief overview of the Mexican context as it has been marked by political transition preceded by the Zapatista insurrection in Chiapas. The article then describes Schmelkes’s approach and her most significant contributions to the work of the GCIBE. We argue that Schmelkes’s main contribution was her commitment to building bridges between the research findings, the Indigenous demands contained in the San Andrés agreements, and the Mexican state. The depth of the challenges faced by Indigenous education in Mexico, and the extent of racism in the country were some of the challenges faced by her direction.