Indigenous School Census
An indigenous school census - both quantitative and qualitative - is being taken in the administrative field, with long-awaited results: the inclusion of indigenous schools in the educational system, and the creation of records of schools and indigenous teachers, which will make the evaluation of difficulties and advances possible as far as governmental actions are concerned. Data are not available yet, but some figures were issued by MEC based on information from state departments of education. There is still a lot to be done for the inclusion of indigenous education in the national education system. According to those figures, there are 1,666 schools in indigenous areas, of which 631 are state schools and 1,035 are municipal ones at different legal stages. Very few are acknowledged as indigenous schools, despite the creation of this category by CNE's 3/99 resolution. The great majority is deemed as rural schools or urban school extension rooms, following their calendar and curriculum.
According to MEC, there are 4,000 teachers working in those schools: 959 non-indigenous teachers and 3,041 indigenous teachers. Little is known about these teachers' profile and qualification. Out of 24 state departments of education, which have either state or municipal indigenous schools, fewer than 10 have elaborated indigenous teacher qualification programs aimed at their graduation. The majority carries out preparatory courses with different methodology, theme, and duration. This is directly reflected on the school's performance: with the exception of one state, in which all indigenous schools have their own curriculum proposal, most of the country's indigenous schools have no specific curriculum proposal. They follow the curriculum of regular state schools. In fact, most of the schools in indigenous territory are not even acknowledged as indigenous schools.