ABSTRACT
The authors present an approach to regional realities in which prevailing religious conflicts impact the work of teachers serving children as they begin their schooling between three and six years old. At this age, the process of socialization, which up until then is mainly carried out in the family, begins in school, a situation that may cause tensions when community cultural meanings, particularly associated with religion, are opposed to school curricula.
This chapter will address the following question: how do pre-primary teachers understand and develop their work when located in regions where religious diversity, as well as ethnic diversity in many cases, causes conflicts that strain the relationship between community life and school life? To answer this, an interpretive study was performed based on the observation of 21 pre-primary schools in Chiapas located in three intercultural regions and a questionnaire was administered to 12 teachers.
The concluding pages outline courses of action aimed at strengthening the relationship between schools and communities, developing teacher training programs in these regions, and narrowing the gap between school curricula and community religious meanings.
