Rural teachers do their best despite of difficulties

Teacher Jaime Bruno Arriaga, native Me Phaa, has been working for over 9 years at the indigenous community of San Miguel Amoltepec el Viejo, part of Cochoapa el Grande, one of the poorest municipalities in Mexico, according to Coneval. He imparts classes to more than 30 na savi children in a classroom built by their own parents with wooden walls, tin roof and dirt floor.

The indigenous communities of Cochoapa el Grande and Metlatonoc, says the teacher, are the living proof of the lack of infrastructure and the poor advances in the field of education, added to the social and marginal conditions in which these children and their parents live.

Jaime Bruno says that many times the textbook packages do not reach the indigenous schools complete; this only demonstrates the discrimination to which these children from Guerrero continue to be subjected, as well as the lack of teachers in certain preschool and elementary education schools; according to information from the people in charge of the indigenous school zone, there is a need for more than 500 teachers.

He insists that indigenous education remains the same as 20 years ago and has not advanced because the authorities have not been able to eradicate the problems of marginalization and poverty in the indigenous areas of the Montaña de Guerrero region.

However, despite the shortcomings, the teacher Jaime assures that the rural teachers, with the support of the parents, do their very best so the children can continue receiving the education they so desperately deserve.

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