The Evolution of Education in Amazonian Indigenous Communities: A Post-Covid Perspective

In 2020, the SARS-Cov2 or COVID pandemic broke out around the world and most people were isolated, at least temporarily. The present research shows a 5-year study that focuses on whether there have been changes in the education of the indigenous Waorani people after the pandemic. In order to measure the evolution of the different cultural aspects that influence the education of these Waorani communities, a survey was applied in which questions were asked about the education in customs and cultural traditions that the indigenous people receive from their own families or communities, as well as the importance they give to the formal education imparted in the State’s educational centres-schools-. The same survey was applied to 88 and 85 indigenous Waorani at two different times (2017 and 2022). To obtain a point of reference with respect to Western culture, the instrument was also applied to two populations with different degrees of contact with Western culture. The results show that, in general, the educational profile of the Waorani communities has not changed significantly throughout the pandemic. However, in some aspects related to education in handicrafts and clothing, statistically significant differences are observed between the two periods, showing a move towards Western positions.