María Ignacia de la Roza

A Chilean educator who founded Latin America's first network of rural schools for indigenous children

María Ignacia de la Roza (1832–1904) was a visionary educator from Santiago who dedicated her life to providing education to Mapuche and Quechua children in Chile's rural regions. Born to a mestizo family, she witnessed the lack of educational opportunities for indigenous communities and established the Escuelas de la Tierra (Schools of the Earth) network starting in 1857. Her innovative bilingual education model combined Spanish literacy with indigenous languages, using locally sourced materials for textbooks. The network grew to 87 schools by 1890, serving over 5,000 students annually. She pioneered agricultural education programs where students learned farming techniques alongside academic subjects, creating sustainable food systems for their communities. Her 1873 publication Educación en la Naturaleza (Education in Nature) became a foundational text in progressive pedagogy. Despite facing opposition from colonial authorities who wanted to suppress indigenous cultures, she received clandestine support from sympathetic Jesuit priests. Modern Chilean historians credit her with laying the groundwork for current bilingual education policies. The Museum of the Educator in Valparaíso houses her original teaching tools and correspondence with President Balmaceda. Her legacy lives on through the annual María Ignacia Prize awarded to educators promoting multicultural education.