"It Takes a Movement to Build Schools": A Historical and Pedagogical Sketch of the Lumad Schools vis-à-vis the Lumad Social Movement

Abstract:This article provides an overview of alternative schools in Mindanao that catered to Lumad youth. Popularly called "Lumad schools," these nongovernment learning institutions were established by indigenous communities with the assistance of religious groups to combat the high incidence of illiteracy in the Lumad ancestral domain. Through a historical and pedagogical sketch, this study demonstrates how Lumad schools emerged alongside the decades-long Lumad social movement that took clear shape during the Marcos dictatorship. Criteria associated with social movements are highlighted to show how this alternative educational system positioned itself in the Lumad struggle for land.