Limitations and possibilities of the intercultural pedagogy for indigenous children

Abstract

This paper deals with intercultural education for children of the indigenous peoples of Latin America. The intention of adapting the syllabi to the culture of the children taking only into consideration their knowledge or some other aspect of their learning situation is strongly criticized. In contrast, it is proposed that in every component of it, cultural dimension is evident. The most relevant characteristics of the learning process that indigenous children develop in their everyday life are analyzed based on ethnographic studies. Subsequently, the numerous differences that separate these learnings from those in school contexts, and the cultural changes regarding cognition are also analyzed. Finally, it is supported that the consideration of all these aspects is an indispensable requisite for the real implementation of curriculums culturally pertinent.