Teaching about Indigenous peoples still hampered by shortcomings in implementing the law in schools

by: Gabriela Bahia

The law requiring the teaching of this subject in basic education is nearly two decades old, but still faces obstacles such as a lack of teacher training and suitable materials in schools.

Although required by law for nearly two decades, the teaching of Indigenous history and culture has still not become consistently established in Brazilian schools. Researchers and education experts point to obstacles such as the lack of specific teacher training and suitable materials to support implementation of the law.

Since 2008, Law 11,645 has made the teaching of this subject mandatory throughout basic education, in both public and private schools. Even so, the content tends to appear sporadically, often restricted to dates such as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

“Brazil has made progress by making this education mandatory, but it has not established the conditions for it to actually happen. Without adequate training and access to good materials, the law does not translate into practice,” states Vanessa Costa, who works in teacher training and the development of educational materials at Fundação 1Bi, a nonprofit organization focused on equity in public education.

The gap between legislation and practice also appears in the debate over the new National Education Plan (PNE). Indigenous movements point out that implementation of Law 11,645 is not even mentioned directly in the most recent proposals, and advocate for the creation of specific targets, with defined deadlines and funding. For experts, this gap highlights the weakness in prioritizing the issue within education policies.

“When there is no target, indicator, or monitoring, the issue ceases to be a priority. And what is not a priority in the education system tends to disappear from the classroom”, says Vanessa.

Teacher training exposes a structural problem

One of the main obstacles lies in teacher training. Although the law requires the subject to be included in basic education, it does not guarantee that it will be mandatory in teacher-training programs, which directly affects classroom practice.

“Many teachers arrive at school without ever having studied this content consistently. This is not an individual failing; it reflects how teacher-training policy has been structured in the country”, she says.

The result, according to her, is superficial or stereotyped approaches. “When the subject appears only on commemorative dates or in a generic form, it reinforces the idea that Indigenous peoples belong to the past. This contributes to the reproduction of prejudice.”

The challenge is compounded by Brazil’s diversity. The country is home to hundreds of Indigenous peoples, with different languages, cultures, and forms of organization—a plurality that is rarely reflected consistently in the school curriculum.

Inequalities and access to resources

School Census data indicate that fewer than 2% of Brazilian schools are located on Indigenous lands, highlighting the limited reach of specific education policies in these territories. At the same time, experts point out that access to quality materials and continuing education remains unequal, especially in the public school system.

“There is a real demand from teachers, but concrete support to turn this into pedagogical practice is often lacking. The challenge is not only to include the subject, but to ensure quality and continuity,” Vanessa states.

Based in Manaus, she also draws attention to the disconnect between territory and curriculum. “Even in regions where Indigenous presence is part of everyday life, this does not always translate into learning. These references need to be integrated into teaching in a structured way.”

Progress in teaching about Indigenous peoples depends on treating it as part of a broader equity agenda in education. As long as the subject remains restricted to isolated initiatives, the country will continue to fall short of fulfilling what is already provided for in the legislation.

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