Sustaining Indigenous Culture in Mangyan Schools

Abstract

The incompatibility between mainstream education and indigenous knowledge, skills, and practices has dissatisfied Mangyans in attaining education through formal schooling. The nationwide implementation of the indigenous education framework must guarantee culturally sustaining pedagogy. There is a need to document the manners in which an indigenous people’s (IP) education is implemented and provided, and the problems experienced by the Mangyan schools become necessary to provide foundations for policy making for the better implementation of IP education. Looking at the contents, methods and approaches in teaching indigenous students, this study focused on how the Mangyan schools develop and sustain culture while teaching the standards of mainstream education. This study was facilitated under the umbrella of qualitative research, using interview and ethnographic protocols. Data were also drawn from documents, other resources, and activities in Tugdaan. Findings revealed the empowering and culturally sustaining interventions to learning which include access to mainstream language, elder pedagogy, creation of a safe space, and inward gaze through balancing academic, linguistic, and cultural interests challenged by the fast-changing national curriculum, disconnection with elementary education providers, lack of culturally relevant instructional materials, and disinterest of Mangyan youth to sustain their own culture. This study recommends using an inward gaze to affirm cultural aspects that are integrated into the curriculum and implement educational strategies in congruence with the Mangyan way of life.