Educating the Indigenous People

Abstract

This chapter examines the role of ethnic organizations in promoting education for the indigenous people. To answer the questions of why illiteracy is so pervasive and the dropout rate from formal education is very high, this chapter focuses on the factors that hinder schooling for the indigenous children and their decision to drop out. Highlighting the issues of discrimination, cultural stereotypes, and negative attitudes of the state and the mainstream population, this chapter argues that indigenous people pragmatically decide not to continue education and opt out from the state-educational system, which is considered as an imposition and a threat to their cultural identity. In order to promote education among the indigenous people, ethnic organizations mostly focus on awareness creation, and offer education in a way that meets the expectations of the local population, such as bilingual instruction in schools which promotes both national and indigenous languages.