Guam to Increase Education in Indigenous Language and Culture

Next year, Guam will be instituting Public Law 31-45, which increases the teaching of the Chamarro language and culture in Guam schools. Currently, Chamarro language and culture courses are required throughout primary school and for one year of middle school. Over the next few years, the new law will expand the current requirements to include grades seven through ten.

Chamarro, the indigenous language and culture of Guam, has long been subjugated by foreign rule. Almost all present-day Chamarro people are of mixed descent, and the Chamarro language has been influenced strongly by 300 years of Spanish rule. This new law is a step to help preserve the indigenous culture and language of the islands.

The bill’s author, Senator Mana Silva Taijeron, is determined to bolster the Chamarro language program but seems even-handed in her approach, stating, “I remain open to introducing amendments to the law to include allowing the department adequate time to address any perceived problems they may have with implementation of this law.”

The Guam Department of Education (DOE) has requested the government set aside $3 million specifically for the program’s expansion (to be allocated in August and September of 2013). DOE officials state that the program’s expansion could cost as much as $11 million per year to maintain once the law has fully taken effect.

There is concern about the ability of Guam to fund the program. As Sylvia Calvo, acting deputy superintendent of curriculum and instructional improvement, stated, “Because of this and the tremendous funding needed, we feel that more discussions need to happen with our principals, teachers, and other stakeholders to address the implications of the implementation of the mandate.”

Creative Commons Love: Mrs. Mamarazi on Flickr.com

 

Written by Michael Jones