Language policies and interculturality in university education for indigenous peoples: the Ecuador-Brazil case

Abstract

This study analysed the theoretical foundations and policies governing access to multicultural and linguistic higher education for indigenous peoples in Ecuador and Brazil; it sought to find out how effective the educational systems are and how the institutions are applying inclusion processes. The research has a qualitative approach, with a phase characterised by bibliographical-documentary research. A theoretical framework is presented on the context of multicultural education; after a comparative analysis, an attempt was made to find out the characteristics of the management and political bases of higher education. The data was collected using instruments and techniques such as bibliographic-documentary records and criteria analysis matrices; the information was obtained from sources such as academic papers, official documents, institutional websites and other sources. It was noted that in Brazil, the Law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education-LDB has become a national curricular reference for bilingual and intercultural school education; and also in Ecuador, there is the Organic Law of Intercultural Education- LOEI, which creates spaces for dialogue between teaching and traditional knowledge. Both countries have inclusion programmes and policies for scholarships and/or quotas for indigenous or Afro-descendants.