Usage and Attitudes towards Spanish and Indigenous Languages in Rural Schools in Peru

Abstract

This bulletin examines the policy of Intercultural Bilingual Education (abbreviated to EIB in Spanish), a policy intended to give indigenous children in Peru access to education relevant to their linguistic and cultural background. However, there are not enough EIB schools in Peru for all children who speak an indigenous language, and the facilities are such that they schools don't offer the children the opportunity to learn enough skills in their own language. The schools do not offer the children the opportunity to learn two languages - Spanish and their mother tongue - rather they use the latter almost exclusively to make sure the children learn Spanish. This publication discusses this devaluation of indigenous languages and the implications for children and the school system in Peru