The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was held this 9th of August. The focus this year is their access to education.

It is known that the Indigenous people’s right to education has not been fully recognized and an education gap still exists between indigenous people and the general population up to this day.

Apart from this, there are other factors that also negatively affect their acquisition of basic learning such as lack of financial capacity for tuition fees and other expenses such as uniforms, materials, transportation, etc. and lack of school infrastructure in areas they are residing.

According to Article 14 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, it states that Indigenous peoples have the entitlement to organize and control their educational systems and institutions providing training in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural heritage and learning.

The International Work Group of Indigenous Affairs has suggested that to create changes it must be relevant and adaptable to their way of life and based on interculturalism and bilingualism.

This will enable them to provide the right knowledge and skills to indigenous children in order for them to fully function as a member of not only their community but the mainstream society as well.

If this solution is properly executed, it will be a big help in achieving liberation of both individual and the Indigenous community.

Just like what the United Nations said, “Indigenous peoples are free and equal to all other individuals”

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