The Covid-19 health emergency cannot be a justification for making public education pay for the economic crisis

(reposted from ESDLA blog: Special Issue-Covid19)

By Paola Minoia

#NoalRecorte campaign in Ecuador banner. Source: Internet.

Covid-19 is expanding in Ecuador, but even more rapid has been the reaction by the government to restrict certain rights. No one dares to contest the lockdown, one of the strictest worldwide, that forbids the mobility of people from 2 pm until 5 am. However, some restrictions that are involving fundamental rights for the Ecuadorian people, i.e.: education for all, are causing discontent. The focus in this blog post is the right to higher education, especially for the less affluent groups of people who attend public universities. My knowledge of the Universidad Estatal Amazonica (UEA) – since my first visit in 2015, allows me to tell how much the administrative and academic staff of this University, located in the Pastaza province, is committed to serve their students to the best of their possibilities. Continue reading “The Covid-19 health emergency cannot be a justification for making public education pay for the economic crisis”

Covid-19: its consequences in the Ecuadorian Amazonian Region and the right to education

Conversation with Dra. Ruth Arias, Rector of the Universidad Estatal Amazonica.

Paola: How is the situation, Ruth?

Ruth: We have been in quarantine since March 17, when the public emergency was declared. I could sense panic in the population from people’s behaviour, as socioeconomic differences are deepened and plenty of defiances is evident; there also are signs of solidarity and reflection. I think Boaventura de Sousa Santos’s writing, “The vulnerable and discriminated against in the South”, and Silvia Ribeiro from the ETC group, have very good analyzes of the situation many are experiencing.
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Importance and challenges of intercultural bilingual education: thoughts by Rosaura Gutiérrez

Text: Rosaura Gutiérrez & Johanna Hohenthal

What makes intercultural bilingual education so important in Ecuador and Pastaza and why is it celebrated? In general, intercultural bilingual education emphasizes equality, equity, parity, complementarity and exchange between different bodies of knowledge in a culturally diverse context [1].

Foto: Johanna Hohenthal

Continue reading “Importance and challenges of intercultural bilingual education: thoughts by Rosaura Gutiérrez”