Highlighting the voice of Indigenous communities for education: Findings from a case study in rural Chile

Abstract

The issue of how to best address Indigenous education needs has long been a public debate. There has been much discussion in the educational system, at policy levels and at universities. However, little is known about the perception of Indigenous peoples in regard to the education that their children are receiving or how to incorporate their traditional knowledge inside the classroom. This paper shares such a study and explores the views of Indigenous people living in rural communities of the Atacama Desert of Chile. Views are shared about the needs of their children and that of teacher education. Using a decolonising rights-based methodology, the study aimed to highlight the voices of Atacameños people, who talked about their relationship with schoolteachers, their role in supporting schools and the role of the traditional educator. Findings suggest that even though Indigenous community members perceived their engagement as key in incorporating local knowledge inside the classroom, they realised they are not actively participating in school organisation. There is also a perception that the role of the traditional educator needs to be valued more because they are crucial for reducing the gap between the Indigenous community and local schools.