Intercultural, bilingual education as a tool for development : the indigenous Quichua of the Ecuadorian Altiplano

Abstract

Within Ecuador intercultural, bilingual schools provide quality education for indigenous students along with a strengthened cultural pride. The research also demonstrates that ICBE schools have brought about a level of what is termed by me as decisive collective organization . This characteristic has outcomes such as: economic advancements, political awareness, community cohesion and an improved quality of life. The most important outcome is that communities are organized for action providing a foundation for future projects and programs. The CONAIE has been using the mobilizing capacity from this decisive collective organization as a catalyst to fight for cultural rights for all indigenous peoples in Ecuador. The end result of this struggle has been that spaces for participation for indigenous peoples have been opened, allowing for new interactions with government. Due to the presence of ICBE schools in indigenous communities in Ecuador, the conditions are now present for the alleviation of social exclusion.