The National Union of Education Workers and UNESCO announced that the pedagogical guide to indigenous education is now available in English and French, a move to provide greater access to the learning tool.
The announcement for the publication, “Teaching Strategies: Guide for Teachers of Indigenous Education,” was made by Edem Adubra, the coordinator of the Working Group on Education Policy
of UNESCO, during the Latin American and Caribbean Week, in Paris, France.
“In my judgment, this is the first time a union is achieving this type ofwork and makes a significant contribution to the quality ofeducation,” said Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, who was joined by Juan Diaz de la Torre, President of the National Union of Education Workers of Mexico (SNTE), along with indigenous Mexican teachers and other leaders of the SNTE. The SNTE is an affiliate of Education International (EI).
The Guide, already available in native languages and Spanish, is a pedagogical tool that seeks to strengthen teaching practice in reading and writing. Originally developed to serve indigenous education in Mexico, teachers around the world will soon have access because of the partnership with UNESCO.
“This is not an instrument reserved only to teachers of indigenous education in our country, it is thought of and built as a useful guide for teachers working in multicultural contexts,” said de la Torre .
The availability of a multilingual guide is seen as a clear sign that inclusion in the classroom has become a priority to face the challenge of language diversity.