About the Lecture

There has been a significant change in the education of indigenous people in Brazil over the last two decades. The political and social changes witnessed in Brazil during this time have enabled these communities to take control of their education, with a majority of teachers in primary education hailing from these communities. A significant feature of these transformations was the encouragement of universities to create a special teacher-education programme for indigenous communities. This teacher education programme sought to train teachers who could provide inter-cultural education to the children from indigenous communities.  This lecture will provide an insider’s perspective on the transformation of the system of education of the indigenous people of Brazil.

About the Speaker

Rita Gomes do Nascimento, a native Brazilian of the Brazilian indigenous people `Potyguara', was formerly General Coordinator of Indigenous School Education, Ministry of Education, Brazil (2012-2015) and Director, Indigenous and Ethnic-Racial relations, Ministry of Education, Brazil (2015-2018). She has been sent back to her state cadre in January 2019 as part of the recent changes in the ruling regime in Brazil.  Rita holds a Master’s degree in Education (UFRN) and a Doctoral degree in Education from the Federal University of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. UFRN, and Post-Doc from the Program of Postdoctoral Studies (PEP) of the Tres de Febrero National University, Argentina (UNTREF / AR). She has ample teaching experience in basic and higher education and done research in the areas of ethnic and cultural diversity and education, teacher training and ethnic and cultural diversity, educational policies, social and ethnic inequalities; cultural policies and education; social movements and education, human rights and education, with an emphasis on indigenous issues. She has colloborated with different research groups and serves on various editorial boards and published extensively.