Summary.
The bill establishes mandatory instruction in mother tongues at public and private schools providing the first and second levels of education in the 12 territories and 7 comarcas of the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá). It declares the learning and teaching of each territory’s and comarca’s mother tongues to be in the public interest. To extend this work beyond schools, it directs government, decentralized, autonomous and municipal institutions, as well as private institutions, to promote and carry out special instruction programs at the institutional and community levels in those territories and comarcas.
The Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación) would receive, through the General State Budget, the funds needed to establish intensive mother tongue learning in the public schools covered by the bill, beginning at the first level of education. In coordination with public universities, the Ministry of Education would establish the relevant plans, programs, methods, techniques, processes and mechanisms for learning those languages. This coordination would also determine the instructional hours needed for teaching in public and private schools in the 12 territories and 7 comarcas.
Public and private teacher training centers, public and private higher education institutes, and public and private universities established in those territories and comarcas would include and develop an official training program for teaching mother tongues. Its purpose would be to give graduates the methodological preparation to teach those languages at the first and second levels of education. Universities offering the bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Bilingual Education could issue official certificates attesting to their graduates’ proficiency or level of knowledge in mother tongues.
For the selection of specialists who would provide this instruction in the 7 comarcas and 12 territories, the bill gives preference to professionals and specialists belonging to the respective peoples and territories. During the vacation periods of each school year, the Ministry of Education, in coordination with universities established in the specified territories, would provide intensive courses and seminars on learning and teaching mother tongues for teachers serving at the first and second levels.
As a transitional provision, the bill gives the Ministry of Education a period of no more than 2 years to ensure that the covered public and private schools have the trained teaching staff they need. In assembling that staff, preference would be given to graduates of the bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Bilingual Education and other fields of specialization. The bill provides that it would take effect on the day following its promulgation. Its provisions concern the Ministry of Education, public and private universities, teacher training centers and higher education institutes; they would also reach teachers, students and the peoples of the covered territories and comarcas.
What it proposes.
- Mandatory mother tongue instruction at the first and second levels of education.
- Institutional and community learning programs.
- Training, certification and selection of teachers and specialists.
Who it would affect.
- Public and private schools in the 12 territories and 7 comarcas.
- Public and private institutions responsible for instruction programs.
- Teacher training centers, higher education institutes and universities.
- Teachers, specialists and students involved in mother tongue instruction.
Key points.
- Establishes mandatory mother tongue instruction in public and private schools at the first and second levels of education.Art. 1
- Declares their learning and teaching to be in the public interest and provides for institutional and community programs.Art. 2
- Provides funding for intensive learning in public schools beginning at the first level.Art. 3
- Assigns the Ministry of Education and public universities responsibility for setting plans, methods and instructional hours for public and private schools.Art. 4
- Requires official methodological training programs in teacher training centers, higher education institutes and universities.Art. 5
- Allows universities offering the bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Bilingual Education to certify their graduates’ proficiency or level of knowledge.Art. 6
- Gives preference to professionals and specialists from the respective peoples and territories when selecting specialists.Art. 7
- Provides for intensive courses and seminars during vacation periods for serving teachers.Art. 8