An inclusive education that respects indigenous cultures

The right of indigenous peoples (IP) to basic education adapted to their cultures was celebrated  in a ceremony in October to mark  IP month.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro, FSC, welcomed about a hundred IP representatives, who came from different parts of the country. Luistro led the IP  in a ceremonial walk to the entrance of the Department of Education (DepEd) main office in Pasig City.

A symbolic ritual followed with elders and youth of different IP communities,  other stakeholders and DepEd officials putting soil, water, seeds and school supplies into one large native basket to signify a collective commitment to adopt and implement fully DepEd Order No. 62 s. 2011 or the National Indigenous Peoples Education Policy Framework.

The document reads in part: “This Policy Framework is intended to be an instrument for promoting shared accountability, continuous dialogue, engagement and partnership among government, IP communities, civil society and other education stakeholders. Recognizing education as a necessary means to realize other human rights and fundamental freedoms, the DepEd urges the strengthening of its policy on IP education and develop and implement an IP Education Program. This Program subscribes to the rights-based approach, which gives primary importance to the principles of participation, inclusion and empowerment.”

Luistro said the DepEd order “recognizes the faults of the [country’s education system in the] past. It is an invitation for us to change our perspective… with a perspective that allows us to really be inclusive. Furthermore, it is an invitation for us to learn with, and not just teach in, indigenous communities that have always been on the sidelines.”

He said many IP communities lacked access to decent basic social services, had limited opportunities to engage in mainstream economy and suffered social, economic and political exclusion or marginalization.

Luistro explained that the disadvantaged position of the IP communities was due in part to the lack of access to “culture-responsive basic education.”

Felipe Lumiwes, a Kankana-ey elder from the Cordilleras, said formal education had caused confusion among them who grew up in a dap-ay, the cultural center of Igorots. Lumiwes said, as a sign of respect, a Kankana-ey was expected to ask anyone he/she met, “Where have you been?” or “Where are you going?”

But, in school, the teacher taught them to say, “Good morning,” “Good afternoon” or “Good evening.”

Lumiwes said when he greeted his grandfather, “Good morning, Lolo,” the older man reprimanded him, “Is that what you’re learning in school?”

Lumiwes added that, in the past, missionaries forbade them from using their Igorot names, forcing them to adopt Christian names, hence his name, Felipe.

The DepEd order is expected to minimize cases like these as it provides that “indigenous knowledge and skills will be given importance in and out of the classroom; indigenous children may learn using methods that are sensitive to their culture and communities, and they will obtain education that is responsive to the needs of the IP communities, especially in preserving and protecting their ancestral domains and their right to decide for themselves.”

Butch Rufino, coordinator of the IP Education Office and adviser to the secretary on IP concerns, said the program had at least two components: First, access of IP communities to education and other DepEd services, and second, for the curriculum to be anchored on the indigenous culture of the learner.

Prior to the event, IP representatives signed a statement at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City expressing their support and asking the government and civil society organizations to push for the following:

Ensure the implementation of the National IP Education Policy Framework.

Increase the number of and empower teachers who are dedicated and have the skills to teach in indigenous schools and communities.

Revise educational programs to become more responsive to indigenous life and cultures.

Build the students’ self-esteem and continuously promote their rights.

Build sturdy schools near IP communities that are equipped with appropriate and enough school supplies and facilities.

Assure that indigenous knowledge, system and culture will be developed and be passed down to present and future generations.

Strengthen the skills of the IP as partners in administering indigenous education.

Allot and gather funds to support the needs in indigenous education.

“We are hopeful that through this partnership, many children from disadvantaged IP communities across the country will be presented with equal access to quality education and the many opportunities that only education can provide,” said Viel Aquino-Dee, representative of the civil society and the Assisi Development Foundation.

“The contribution that this partnership brings to the advancement of our IP children and youth cannot be underestimated,” she added.