Educational effects of multilingualism in Guatemala

Abstract

In Guatemala, as in all the so‐called third world countries, the high illiteracy rate has direct consequences upon the underdevelopment of the country. According to studies conducted by the Human Resources Sector of the Secretariat for Economic Planning in the early 1970's, about 60% of the Guatemalan population over seven years of age were illiterate. The average educational level in that same population was 1.28 grades, that is to say, it didn't even reach the second grade (Herrera, 1973:25). This is a serious deficit in the preparation of the human resources necessary for the development of the country.

The high proportion (50%) of Indian population is frequently mentioned as the main cause for illiteracy and the consequent underdevelopment of Guatemala. But this is by no means the only cause of this complex situation. Two other frequently mentioned factors are 1) the high proportion of rural population and 2) the ineffectiveness of the rural education programme.

Notes

This work was read in Spanish as part of a larger topic, at the Second National Linguistic Congress in Guatemala, September 1984.