Indigenous Peoples Development Plan (IPDP)
Indigenous Peoples Development Plan (IPDP)
Indigenous Peoples Development Plan (IPDP)
IPP148
Indigenous Peoples Development Plan (IPDP)
A social assessment was carried out by local teams in two parts: (a) A nation-wide qualitative
assessment titled “Study of Social Demands” was carried out from November 2004 to February
2005 with the purpose of informing the project design on aspects related to rural, technical and
Public Disclosure Authorized
vocational schools in project areas. A purposeful sample selected by the Ministry of Education
included provinces located in the six major regions of the country: Mendoza, Río Negro, Salta,
Misiones, Catamarca and Rosario/Santa Fe. Teachers, parents, students, social communicators,
education specialists, High School authorities, potential employers and representatives of the
industrial sector shared their perceptions, views and expectations of the current educational
system, and the constraints and challenges of the labor market for high school graduates. The
methods used to collect information were focus groups and interviews. To complement the above
assessment, a desk review of secondary sources carried out between April and June 2005
analyzed some institutional and political issues of supply and demand of education in Argentina.
(b) A desk review of existing information on the status of education among indigenous peoples
was carried out in June, 2005. It was based on the 2001 Census, documents and studies by the
Public Disclosure Authorized
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology MECyT (1997-2005), the Center for Legal and
Social Studies (CELS), the International Federation of Human Rights (CAREF), and other
sources. The desk review was completed with consultations with government officials and
stakeholders at the central level (INDEC; National Institute of Indigenous Affairs INAI; MECyT)
and at the provincial level. The assessment concentrated on the Northeastern (NEA), and
Northwestern (NOA) regions, which include some of the poorest provinces in the country, with
the highest student dropout, repetition and over-age rates, and therefore, the highest demand of
support. Coincidently, these provinces are home to the largest majority of indigenous students.
The exact number of indigenous peoples in Argentina is not known. The 2001 Census included a
question on ‘self-identification’ which created resistance from the indigenous organizations. A
general estimate between 1.5 and 2.7 percent of the total population may vary. There are 20
Public Disclosure Authorized
different groups, the most numerous of whom are the Colla, Diaguita, Mapuche, Wichí and Toba.
According to the Census, there are 281,959 homes with at least one member self-identified as
indigenous. One third of those homes are located in the province of Buenos Aires. A
complementary Household Survey module tracing the 2001 households inhabited by one or more
indigenous person will be ready in late 2005.
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Table No. 1 Indigenous Population in Argentina, by ethnic group and estimate source
According to the 2001 Census, 58.4 percent of indigenous peoples live in urbanized areas such as
the Pampeana Region (Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Cordoba, Entre Rios and La Pampa) and Gran
Buenos Aires. The other 41.6 percent live mostly in rural areas, distributed among the NOA
region (15.1), Patagonia (13.5), NEA (7.3) and Cuyo (5.7).
Nevertheless, as can be seen in Table 2 the largest amount of indigenous communities is found in
NOA (451) and NEA (275) regions respectively.
The largest number of households suffering from unsatisfied basic needs (UBN) correspond to
NEA and NOA. i.e. Formosa (28 percent); Salta (27.5 percent); Chaco (27.5 percent); Santiago
del Estero (26.2 percent); Jujuy (26/1 percent); y Corrientes (24 percent) compared to the Buenos
Aires province (13 percent) or Cordoba (11 percent). The provinces with highest indigenous
population also have the highest UBN, such as Formosa, Salta and Chaco, where some of their
departments may reach up to 79.3 percent of UBN.
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According to the National Registration of Indigenous Communities (RENACI), there exist 867
indigenous communities legally constituted at the national and provincial levels, and many others
in the process of acquiring legal personality.
Indigenous Languages
The homogenization of the population through the “castellanización” (Spanish enforced and
indigenous languages shunned) has been the norm in the education system. That, together with
the gradual loss of ancestral territories, has contributed to the loss of identity.
There are ten live languages: Mapuzungun (Mapuche), Mbyá-Guaraní, Wichi, Pilagá, Qom
(Toba), Guaraní-Yopará, Mocoví, Chané, Chorote and Chulupí. Neither language has an official
grammar and dictionary. Language coverage may go beyond race, as is the case of Corrientes y
Santiago del Estero, where Guaraní y el quichua santiagueño is spoken by non-indigenous. On the
other hand, some indigenous groups are bilingual and in process of recuperation of their
indigenous language, such is the case of the Huarpes (Milcayac-Spanish) and Diaguitas (Kakan-
Spanish). Quechua and Aymara language are not spoken by indigenous communities but it is still
spoken in some areas of the Province of Jujuy.
Legal Framework
The National Constitution as well as legislation at the provincial level protects the right of
indigenous peoples to education.
• The National Constitution, Art 75, paragraph 17 states: “To recognize the ethnic and
cultural pre-existence of Argentinean indigenous peoples. Guarantee respect for their
identity and their right to an intercultural bilingual education...”
• Integrated Law of the Aborigines of the Province of Formosa No. 426/84, followed by
National Law 23.302/85 that grants indigenous communities statutory rights to
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participate in socio-economic and cultural processes. The same law decrees that the first
three years of education should be in mother tongue, and the years thereafter should be
bilingual.
• In 1992, National Law No. 24.071 ratified ILO Agreement 169 on Indigenous “Peoples
and Tribal Groups in Independent Countries”.
• Federal Education Law 24.195/93 recognizes “...the right of indigenous communities to
preserve cultural traits, the right to learning and teaching in their language, with the
participation of the elders of each community in this process. Chapter VII, Art 34
establishes: “... the National Government will promote programs to rescue the cultural
heritage and strengthen indigenous languages and cultures...”
• In 1996, the National Registry for Indigenous Communities (RENACI) is created under
the Ministry of Social Development.
• Resolution 107/99 of the CFCyE created the title of “Intercultural Bilingual Teacher” for
EGB1, EGB2, EGB3 and 'Polimodal’.
• The presentation before the Racial Discrimination Committee (CERD), July 2004, reads:
“Indigenous peoples receive minimal education assistance and the Government has not
been able to implement an educational policy which takes into account the cultural
identity and educational and linguistic characteristics of indigenous peoples at the Federal
level. It has also failed to implement the urgent necessary reforms to the contents of the
Education Plans addressed to all the society at large”.
• Argentina has also ratified the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples,
Resolution 1994/45, and the OAS Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Act
1333, Art IX, which states: “(1) Indigenous Peoples will have the right to: (a) define and
apply their own programs, institutions and educational facilities; (b) prepare and apply
their own plans, programs, curricula and learning materials; (c) train and accredit their
teachers and administrators. (2) When indigenous peoples so desire, education programs
should be carried out in the indigenous languages. Training for mastering of the
indigenous language and official languages. (3) The States will warranty the educational
systems for indigenous are the same in quality, efficiency and access to those offered to
the mainstream population. (4) The States shall include in their education systems,
contents that reflect the pluri-cultural nature of their societies. And, (5) The States will
provide the financial assistance to set forth those provisions
PNEIB is in infancy, as it was officially born at the end of 2003. PNEIB is located at the MECyT,
under the National Directorate of Compensatory Programs of the Ministry of Education.
The experimental phase of PNEIB initiated in 1997, when the MECyT launched Project 4 within
the framework of compensatory policy of the Social Education Plan, “to respond to the needs of
schools with aborigine students”. Some of the initial actions included:
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• Legal framework for the generation of EIB norms. Resolution 107/99 regulates EIB and
teacher training.
In 2000, the above program was called “Project for the Improvement of Educational Quality for
Indigenous Peoples” and expanded to more schools. In 2001, an agreement between MECyT and
PROEIB-Andes made official and expanded the EIB network to sensitize the education
community to the recognition of special needs of PNEIB.
The National Intercultural Bilingual Program (PNEIB) at MECyT began operations in mid-2004,
with prospects to provide an Intercultural Bilingual Program to all the indigenous students who
may demand such program. PNEIB plans include:
(a) The inclusion of EIB Units in the structure of provincial MECyT offices;
(b) The promotion and cooperation for the officialization of EIB norms and its inclusion in
the school year;
(c) The definition of a teacher profile for schools with indigenous population;
(d) The design of basic pedagogical strategies beyond the typical Identity-Language-Culture
scheme present in the current curriculum;
(e) Strengthening statistics and data on the education status of indigenous students, and
reinforcing the links with data sources;
(f) The systematization of national EIB experiences and learning from international
experiences in Latin America;
(g) The promotion of socio-linguistic research;
(h) The creation of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that isolate the ethnic variable to
trace progress of vulnerable ethnic groups;
(i) The inclusion of indigenous participation in the decision-making processes of educational
policy;
(j) To contribute to the cultural and linguistic enrichment of Indigenous society at large.
Despite its conceptual framework and sound legal basis, the National Intercultural Bilingual
Program (PNEIB) is not pedagogically normed, fully developed and operational yet, but sound
steps are being taken.
Education Census. The ethnic variable was incorporated in the education census by the Ministry
of Education National Directorate of Data and Evaluation of Education Quality (RA-DiNIECE)
in 2005, and the results will be available late in the year. In 2004 PNEIB began to collect data on
enrollment of indigenous students, and languages spoken. Apart from that, the criteria to identify
indigenous people is not uniform in the country. Consequently, data on enrollment, retention,
achievement, or over-age status of indigenous students is scarce or unreliable.
According to the 1998 Survey to Detect the Needs of Aboriginal Population (Project Four of the
Social Development Plan) and the Systematization of EIB Experiences, there were approximately
2,711 schools serving indigenous students in 2001. The current estimate is 3,000 schools.
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Indigenous Teachers. The intercultural team formed by “a regular teacher and an Auxiliary
indigenous teacher (MEMA, ADA, non-official)” was a breakthrough in the system, which
recognized the need for intercultural exchange and teacher complementarity in the classroom.
However, unofficial indigenous educators which have been in the system as Auxiliary teachers
for the past 20 years, demand professionalization and regularization. The intercultural teacher
team is found in some schools mostly in grades 1 through 3 but not in all schools. A common
scenario encountered in schools visited in indigenous communities showed a one-teacher multi-
grade school where the teacher has not received intercultural education and is unable to
understand and respond to socio-cultural and socio-linguistic complexities.
Teacher Training to teach Indigenous Schools, and to teach under the PNEIB. Although the
Resolution 107/99 of the Federal Council of Education created the title of “Intercultural Bilingual
Teacher” for EGB1, 2, 3 and Polimodal, such Training Program does not exist. Two efforts are
noteworthy. In Formosa (1997) the first 195 MEMAs were trained to teach pre-school and EGB1
in Aboriginal Schools and incorporated in the system. In Chaco, there exists the Aboriginal
Auxiliary Teachers (ADAs) and the unofficial teachers (‘maestros idóneos’) but the number is
uncertain. In general, there are at least 500 aboriginal/non-aboriginal teachers demanding
professionalization and official recognition.
A series of three workshops were conducted in 2004-2005 on “Teacher Training, Interculture and
Bilingualism in Education” by the PNEIB in coordination with the Teacher Training Unit of the
National Directorate of Curriculum and Teacher Training, with purpose of formulating a Proposal
for Teacher Training in Intercultural Education and Intercultural Bilingual Education, to be
submitted to the Federal Council of Education for the discussion of a Federal Policy for
Intercultural and Bilingual Education. The workshops took place in Bariloche (for Patagonia
region, Central Argentina, Mendoza and Federal Capital), Formosa (for NEA and Federal
Capital), and San Miguel de Tucumán (for NOA and Federal Capital). The results are reflected in
the recommendations of the present Annex.
Educational and reading materials in indigenous languages. With some exceptions, many
materials used in PNEIB are translations of materials used in regular schools with monolingual
Spanish-speaking students.
Grammars, dictionaries and reading materials in indigenous languages. The only existing
grammar is that of Guarani. Other grammars in planning stage are Wichí, Qom (toba),
Mapuzungún, Mocoví and Quechua.
Scholarships for indigenous students. In coordination with INAI, according to MECyT the
National Scholarship Plan assigned 8,000 scholarships to indigenous students in 2005 in 1,286
schools (6,000 from MECyT, 1,300 from Social Development Plan and 700 from other sources)
for EGB3 and Polimodal. According to INAI two problems remain: (a) lack of data to identify
ethnic background of recipients; and (b) lack of tracing studies to monitor results. There is no
data on scholarships for indigenous students for pre-school, EGB1 and EGB2.
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Recommendations of the Assessments
1. Regionalization and diversification of the curriculum. The curriculum for rural schools
should be adapted to the learning needs of rural areas, based, however, on the national
curriculum, so that indigenous students can compete at the national level.
2. Accelerated learning for over-age students. Support the accelerated learning programs for
over-age students in rural areas, with the help of itinerant teachers and extra-curricular
activities. Community-based efforts are vital to support students going from 6th to EGB3
level, and through high school.
3. Teacher Training. Specialized training to teach rural areas should be provided to teachers.
A Module on Intercultural Education is recommended for all teachers working in rural
areas.
2. Data collection. Ensure proper data collection in the Education Census (Relevamiento
annual) including the ethnic variable and language spoken at home.
3. Homogenize criteria for the definition of a “school with indigenous population” in order
to classify them as those needing a full EIB, or classes to strengthen the local indigenous
language.
4. Teacher profiles. Define the profiles of (a) rural teachers capable of teaching intercultural
students, and (b) “rural EIB teachers”.
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education” for rural teachers currently teaching in rural schools with indigenous students;
and (c) the incorporation of a Module on “Intercultural and bilingual education” for
regular Teacher training programs in general. Also, training on “Intercultural and
bilingual education” to academic staff in rural schools with indigenous students and to
administrative staff of those schools.
10. The concept of “intercultural education” in Argentina should permeate all subjects:
technical, social and arts sciences in education. This concept should guide research with
pedagogical purposes to capture valuable traditional knowledge and cultural identity
(Bariloche, Formosa, Tucumán Workshops)
11. Formulate a set of administrative norms to (a) flex the school calendar to accommodate
seasonal needs in rural areas; (b) reform teacher statutes to include considerations for
rural teachers in indigenous schools.
12. Systematize best pedagogical practices in EIB and intercultural education in rural areas of
Argentina. Support best practices and initiatives in different regions of the country.
13. M&E programs should include variables to identify coverage of schools in indigenous
regions.
Goals and Action Plan of the National Intercultural Bilingual Program (PNEIB) at
MECyT.
1. Teacher Training. It seeks to incorporate EIB in all Teacher Training Programs for pre-
school, EGB1, 2, and 3 and to promote the professionalization of all indigenous auxiliary
teachers (MEMAs, ADAs, informal, etc.). Also, to promote consultations and
participation of formal and informal educators presently working with aboriginal
students.
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plans. Also, in coordination with the jurisdictional level, provide technical assistance to
schools for the promotion and strengthening of significant EIB experiences.\
4. Scholarships for indigenous students in EGB3 and Polimodal. In coordination with INAI,
provide 10,000 scholarships per year to students in EGB3 and Polimodal. Likewise,
coordinate with Scholarship Program for Tertiary Education (under the Secretariat of
Tertiary Education Policy) scholarship support for students wishing to continue their
studies at the university.
Given the presence of indigenous peoples in Argentina, and consistent with the Bank Policy 4.10
on Indigenous Peoples, the proposed project will include an Indigenous Peoples Development
Plan (IPDP) which supports the ongoing GOA programs addressed to improve the education
conditions of rural schools attended by indigenous students. The GOA counterparts have
proposed the IPDP below to support the action plan of the National Plan for Intercultural
Bilingual Education (PNEIB) for 2005-2010. The IPDP has been agreed on, incorporated in the
project design and disseminated by the Ministry of Education in the country. It will also be
incorporated in the Project Operational Manual.
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Support for (a) Promotion of projects in schools 2,507,460
Institutional (b) Training workshops on EIB and
Pedagogical participation of school community in the
Projects in formulation of the institutional
3,000 schools pedagogical project to respond to specific
serving needs
indigenous
students in 4 years
Inventory, revision, (a) Inventory of existing resources/materials 1,083,000
elaboration, (b) Quality review and assessment of
production, utilization of materials
reproduction of (c) Reproduction of approved materials
teaching/learning (d) Elaboration of new teaching/learning
intercultural materials
and bilingual (e) Production of materials
materials
Information/data Diagnosis/mapping/census of state of education among 116,200
Systematization. indigenous and non-indigenous peoples residing in
Monitoring and indigenous regions in Argentina (rural and urban) which
Evaluation of EIB in indicate the following quantitative and qualitative
4 years information, as follows:
(a) Demographics: students: number of school-age
indigenous children and youths, number of those
matriculated and those without access to a school.
(b) Infrastructure: Physical condition of schools in
indigenous regions (as part of the Annual Census
under DINIECE-MECyT).
(c) Studies of rates and perceptions in education:
access, repetition, over-age, drop-out, completion
in pre-school, EGB1, EGB2, EGB3, number of
teachers with different types of specialization
trained to teach intercultural education; number of
teachers speaking indigenous languages and level
of education. Reasons for the above rates. Peoples’
perceptions and preferences.
(d) Language(s) of instruction.
(e) Pedagogical materials and tools used: universal
Spanish, intercultural, bilingual.
(f) School organization, participation: School Council,
decision-making schemes, opportunities for
participation of parents’, business community, civil
society.
(g) Monitoring and Evaluation: (i) Students’
evaluation. Standardized and non-standardized
tests. (ii)Teachers’ evaluations.
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