Access to higher education in indigenous community natives. The Maká of Encarnación (Itapúa, Paraguay)

Abstract

Education is a human right under the National Constitution. It is also relevant to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In both cases, its importance lies in the fact that through it, equitable, inclusive and sustainable societies will be achieved. However, despite the existing regulations, the realities between countries and communities within each country vary. In the case of Paraguay, access to higher education for young people living in indigenous communities follows a trend totally contrary to the democratization of access to higher education and the enrollment and graduation trends it presents. Through interviews with young people and older adults from the Maká community of Encarnación, we inquired about the obstacles to access to Higher Education and their worldview. The results show that access to higher education is limited by economic and discriminatory issues, despite their vision of importance and motivation to study and improve their living conditions.