Shared values, cultural diversity and education :
What to learn and how ?

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR STRENGTHENING THE "CAMPECHANIDAD"

State of Campeche, Mexico

The Educational Program for Strengthening the "Campechanidad"(quality of pertaining to the state of Campeche) falls within the State Development Plan (1997-2003) of Mexico. Its purpose is to strengthen popular culture, preserve its traditions and support the values that have inspired the history of the Mexican people. The program's main objective is the promotion of the "campechanidad" from the school, taking advantage of cultural legacy as a didactic supportive element, fostering its knowledge and preservation. The term "campechanidad" refers to the conformation, throughout time, of a singular culture, which is also a lifestyle, including the exultation of the emblematic qualities of people, such as frankness, generosity, joyfulness and noble spirit. The program's strategies include the active participation of the pre-school, indigenous, elementary and secondary education. The organization of the new curricular contents intends to strengthen and complement the national study plans in force.

The program is intended to develop national identity from teaching geographic and historic characteristics at national and local level, promoting knowledge of ethnic diversity and social, economic and political problems of Mexico. Its implementation lies on three components: Pedagogical one: it includes the material means to facilitate the work of teachers and students, methodological proposals, plastic expression activities, dramatizations, guides, didactic games, recorded material, videos, training workshops of "campechanidad" for teachers and promoters, directors and group heads. Cultural one: promotion and taking advantage of the heritage. It includes direct knowledge of the elements of the cultural heritage, such as educational visits to museums, historical sites and archeological research zones for the spread-out of customs and traditions. Civic-social one: it implies the direct participation of the educational community in promotion events, integrating the two former elements (contests, encounters, demonstrations and exhibitions). The use of the "Project Method" in schools is stimulated as a methodological proposal through which it is possible to link cultural aspects of the community with the school program contents. All this has the aim of carrying out the "cultural rescue" projects included in the program. This method consists of the subject identification, problem definition and action execution by the teachers and the students.

In the last 35 years, several migratory processes within the State of Campeche have fostered new changes and transformations, turning the region into a multiethnic, multi-linguistic and heterogeneous space, where new mixtures constantly take place. In view of this demographic complexity, the state has considered the need for fostering the popular culture strengthening, by means of rescuing and preserving it. It has done this with the purpose of invigorating a common identity based on the reflection, knowledge of the reality and improving the quality of life of the population.

Governementof the State of CAMPECHE
Education, culture and sports secretariat
Patricio Trueba de Regil Ave.
CP 24090 CAMPECHE MEXICO
Tel.: 00 81 3-06-60/ 00 81 3-06-42
E-mail: Webmaster@campeche.gob.mx
Website: http://www.campeche.gob.mx/

1998