Importance of Bolivarian Schools

Since 1999 Venezuela is officially known as the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. President Hugo Chávez was the promoter of a revolutionary political movement based on the principles of socialism and the ideals of Simón Bolívar. During the years of government of Chávez and President Nicolás Maduro, there has been a profound transformation in all levels of society.

In the educational field, a new model has been created at the national level and is known by the term "Bolivarian School".

Over the years, more than 4,700 schools and a series of measures to improve education have been put into operation. For the Venezuelan government it is a great advance in the revolutionary process and for the opposition the new educational paradigm is another failure of the Bolivarian revolution.

Fundamental axes of the Bolivarian School

The number of schools in public education has increased significantly. Schools have been equipped with advanced educational materials, especially new technologies. Likewise, teachers have been trained in new methodological and pedagogical skills.

To improve academic performance and promote social inclusion, there are specific programs that allow the feeding of the school population. The physical activity and sport is another of the pillars of the Bolivarian schools. The pedagogical proposal promoted by the Venezuelan government emphasizes cooperative relations over the idea of competitiveness. The active participation of students and the inclusion of Venezuelan cultural diversity in the school is another of the axes of the educational model.

The development of this new conception of public education has a triple objective

First, reduce social exclusion and promote equal opportunities through education.

On the other hand, the strengthening of the education system It makes it possible to combat some specific problems, such as school dropout or low academic performance.

Finally, it is intended that the public and free quality school be a tool to promote the progress of Venezuelan society.

In short, from the perspective of the executive, the school has to be an instrument that promotes the achievements of the Bolivarian revolution.

Criticism of the educational approach

The opposition to the Bolivarian regime does not have the same assessment of the educational system as the government. Criticisms of the Bolivarian School are diverse:

1) the educational system has a clear political inspiration, since its main objective is the indoctrination of the school population (for example, textbooks praise the figure of Chávez as a messianic character),

2) the creation of schools and investments in new technologies have not been accompanied by a higher quality in academic training,

3) teacher training is not adequate to face the new educational challenges,

4) the fact that teachers are evaluated by students is considered an absurd and anti-pedagogical practice and

5) the Bolivarian School is valued as a social engineering project.

Image: Fotolia. Doozydo