How is the teacher training at Oventic organized taking into account the Mayan culture?
The teachers that are being trained were chosen by each of their communities. Their goal is to combine the system of Zapatismo (the struggle for freedom and equality of all people) with the ways of Mayan culture. The Zapatista approach to education is very compatible with the education philosophy of Paulo Freire [the late Brazilian educator known for his “pedagogy of the oppressed,” which intertwines learning with the struggle for social justice.] The teacher is not all knowing, but instead is both a teacher and a student. The teacher realizes that students will best understand concepts when the teacher and students work together. For example, at the school in Oventic, there is a plan to teach animal husbandry by actually raising stock. The techniques used will combine the traditional methods that students have learned from their communities with newer techniques learned from scientific advances. Q: How have you combined your teaching in the communities of Chiapas with the program of t
