The New Curriculum Transforming Early Childhood Education in Guatemala
The latest edition of KIX Conversations featured Claudia Morales, Director General of Educational Quality Management at the Guatemalan Ministry of Education, who shared the main changes and motivations behind the update of the National Core Curriculum (CNB) for Pre-primary Education. The interview, conducted by Pedro Garret, Project Coordinator and Researcher at KIX LAC, is part of the “Knowledge Mobilization Cycle: Use of Evidence for Early Childhood Education”.
To begin the conversation, Claudia Morales explained that the CNB update responds to both the need to continue the curriculum transformation process initiated with the educational reform and to the urgency of addressing the current challenges facing Guatemalan children. This process, which was developed using a participatory and dialogic methodology, was supported by several enabling factors: the political will of the Ministry of Education, regulatory support, budgetary availability, and, above all, the integration of multiple voices.
Regarding initial progress, Morales highlighted that significant changes are already noticeable: a greater emphasis on play as a learning strategy, more autonomy and creativity among students, and the incorporation of content related to citizenship, the environment, and peaceful coexistence. Despite this progress, implementation has not been without difficulties. The most frequently cited by teachers has been the need for more training, especially in rural and multigrade schools, where the lack of resources makes it more difficult to implement the proposed changes. In response to this situation, the ministry has opted for ongoing training, technical support, and strategic alliances with communities and international cooperation agencies.
Regarding the next steps, the director emphasized that the priority is to consolidate implementation through ongoing training, systematically evaluate the impact of the curriculum, and refine it based on new evidence and emerging needs.
