Soldiers Run Venezuela's Bolivarian Classrooms

 
Critics have complained about what they call the militarization of Venezuela's schools under President Hugo Chávez's plans for educational reform. A November 9 article in the New York Times describes the government's creation of "Bolivarian" schools, one more step in the trend to increase the military's role in social programs and public administration. For now, most classes are taught by civilians and the same curriculum is used as in the rest of Venezuela's schools, but plans are underway to revise textbooks and introduce military training for students.

Most of the schools are in poor areas, where parents have welcomed the soldiers' role in building or renovating school buildings. The Bolivarian schools also offer after-school programs, two meals a day plus a snack, and health care.

The article quotes Marco Aurelio Fernández, an colonel who is the principal of one of the Bolivarian schools. "We think of the army as the people in uniform, but this is certainly a new role for the armed forces," he acknowledged. "We have had to change from warriors to teachers, to put down the rifle and pick up the book."

Given Chávez's overtures to Fidel Castro, many observers worry about the shape the new school curriculum could take. At SOAC's September 2000 conference, "Bolivarian Democracy: Social and Economic Impact of Venezuela's New Path," a participant from Venezuela showed a copy of a flier announcing a state-sponsored essay contest about Ché Guevara as a role model for youth. Increasingly, Chávez's ideology of Bolivarian revolution seems to be finding inspiration in the Cuban model.

www.nytimes.com