Memory policies at school in Latin America. Colombia´s case in the face of its armed conflict

Abstract

The aim of this article, as a result of the doctoral thesis entitled: “Institutional educational project and the formation of political subjectivity for a post-conflict scenario: collective memory of armed conflict and school identity” is to problematize the absence of memory policies in the Colombian educational context, understanding that Colombia has the longest-running armed conflict in the Southern Cone. The text traces memory policies that have had interferences from different historical cuts in countries as Argentina, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Colombia. The research is guided by the historical-hermeneutic approach, and the methodology is focused on the qualitative. The conclusions are summarized in that: A). The Latin American countries that have a strong memory policies process in the educational context are, in the first place: Argentina and Peru, given the variety of laws and initiatives on memory that have been issued at the national, provincial and municipal levels. Secondly, they are followed by Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Colombia ranking last among these countries. B). There is an attempt by teachers to thematize the memory of armed conflict as their own initiative. C). The school taking advantage of its autonomy in the PEI has fallen short by not linking the memory of violence to the curriculum.