Populism, elitism, and school choice in Bolivia

Background.
Bolivia is an 11 million people country, sited in the middle of South America. It´s bordered to the
north and east by Brazil, to the southeast by Paraguay, to the south by Argentina, to the southwest
and west by Chile, and to the northwest by Peru. Almost all of them are large and/or powerful
countries. Almost all of them, have populist governments today, except Brazil, however, President
Bolsonaro is considered to be a populist leader. The situation in Chile had been a different one, if
Covid 19 had not appeared in scene1. Brazil and Argentina have larger population than Bolivia2, and
Chile has a stronger economy3 although their population is not too far from Bolivia´s numbers with
almost 18 million people living in Chile today. Peru´s political situation was –to say the least– curious
last 2019 with both their Congress condemning their President and their President closing the
Congress. President Vizcarra, is considered to be closer to the socialist movements in Peru.

Populist.

There is need to clarify something right here. Populist and socialism are different things. For the
purposes of this short essay we will enclose “populism” under the following concept:

A political philosophy that focuses on standing up for the rights and positions of the common people
as opposed to the elite and the government.

While “socialism” is an economic concept that advocates public ownership of all or most resources.
With this model comes the control of resource production and distribution by members of the
society; or by the government that represents those societies.

However, most socialist governments or political parties, have had populist leaders or candidates as
part of their political speech. We seem to not be able to separate one from the other.

How does living under a populist government affect school choice?

And also, why is Bolivia of any importance in this matter?

1
President´s Piñera´s government was in danger due to riots, and demonstrations last November and
December, conducted by the opposite wing of the political movement, with a social agenda of inequity speech,
very much like what has been recently seen in USA
https://www.france24.com/es/20191024-chile-economia-protestas-pinera
2
Argentina – over 45 million people living in Argentina
https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/argentina-demographics/
Brazil – over 212 million people
https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/brazil-demographics/

3
Chile has a GDP of almost 16,000 USD per capita in 2018 against Bolivia´s 2,500 USD per capita in 2019
https://www.focus-economics.com/countries/chile
https://tradingeconomics.com/bolivia/gdp
These two questions will be considered in the following pages.

Who is to blame for it?

Populism is not new in Latin-American countries, Juan Antonio Morales, mentions it in his article
about “The political economy of Bolivian populism in the 21st century”:
“Los experimentos populistas son recurrentes en América Latina. (Uno de los casos más
conspicuos es el de Bolivia en el siglo 21 bajo el gobierno de Evo Morales y el Movimiento
al Socialismo (MAS). El populismo de este siglo, en común con experiencias previas,
prioriza la redistribución del ingreso y de la riqueza basada en el papel central en la
economía que se le da al Estado. por una parte. y en el nacionalismo, por otra.) La
característica nueva en el populismo del siglo 21 es la incorporación de las
reivindicaciones étnicas de la mayoritaria población indígena.”4

Morales –not related to former President of Bolivia, Evo Morales– states that “populist experiments
are recurring in Latin America”. He refers to one of the most “conspicuous cases” in Bolivia under
Evo Morales´ term from the “Movement to Socialism” (MAS) political party. He refers to this
particular period which has been called “The Bolivian miracle” in economy and which mesmerized
almost anyone who lived outside Bolivia. Only someone living within the country could have told
that something was going really wrong, but could not express what, only the recurrent feeling that
“there was something not quite right going on”5 passed through the spine of Bolivian people.

There is more to say about that, but it´s part of another analysis regarding the effect of tailored
education, and slyness. Some other time, maybe.

Morales continues: “The new feature in 21st century populism is the incorporation of the ethnic
claims of the majority indigenous population”. This idea keeps appearing in populist movements,
the “feeling” on have been unfairly treated, oppressed, and/or enslaved6 and being “the majority”
of the population. As can be seen in the following excerpts of the presidential 1st speech in 2006:
“Indigenous peoples, who are the majority of the Bolivian population, have
historically been marginalized, humiliated, despised, and condemned to
extinction. I want to tell the indigenous brothers that the 500-year campaign of
indigenous and popular resistance has not been in vain, we are here to say:
Enough of resistance, we are going from the resistance of 500 years to the
seizure of power for 500 years."

If Bolivians had not known better, they´d had believed this “majority” issue too. In Bolivia there is a
large group of native people descendants, but they are far from being the majority anymore. High
rates of migration have made the three major cities in Bolivia the most populated areas, with lots
of mixed race. Santa Cruz is a former “white” city, today with a population that is over 3 million
people7, half of them being this native indigenous descendants with flourishing commerce and

4
https://ideas.repec.org/a/ris/revlde/1204.html
5
Pharse attributed to a college student in the October and November riots in Bolivia, while interviewed by
the author.

6 Evo Morales presidential speech excerpts selection https://www.servindi.org/actualidad/273

7
https://www.ine.gob.bo/index.php/wpfd_file/santa-cruz-concentra-la-mayor-poblacion-de-bolivia/
entrepreneurship. A sociologist even says that 70% of the people who live in Arica, Chile - a whole
different country – come from this root.8 But this might be the key to understand why former
president Evo Morales had such a strong vote in his 1st period, back in 20069.

This idea of “500 years of white oppression” is openly taught in schools as part of the curricula. Last
government even had a “De-colonialism” Ministry10 with people under this office who worked to
change the mindset of people who had been “colonialized”, and were prone to globalization, or
seemed too friendly to the American mindset. In rural areas schools militantly taught young adults
to resist, depose, and finally expel any “white” influence.11 They encouraged High School students
to read and learn the contents of the book by heart with a creative strategy: the promise of a
graduation party for the school that did it best in the TV show. Populist governments engaging anti-
imperialism speech… during a national broadcast TV show where contestants compete for a
graduation party with amplification, and all the (globalized) music they can take on.

Of course, in past October and November, these kids (most of them under voting age) appeared in
national TV with extoling words for former president Evo Morales, promising to vote for him in the
next election, calling themselves, “his younger brothers”, they did that broadcasting on Facebook,
from their smartphones.

So, there is an intimate liaison between education and populism, but not formal education, or to
call it some name “traditional” education, it´s more a “formation”, a making of a mindset that goes
on in, but also outside the school classrooms.

If the reader is not familiarized with the “soft revolution” that occurred in Bolivia in October 2019,
please refer to: Pititas To read a chronology of what happened between October and November
2020 please refer to: Chronology or better: Newspaper .

And there is the importance of examining Bolivia under a looking glass the coming years. Because it
was the white, educated elite, the college students, the parents, and even the kids, who took the
streets to stop the Morales´ Era.12 Some of them were homeschoolers.13

So, who is to blame for the populism in Latin America? Even though Latin America is quite diverse
in social, politic, and economic conditions, the culture remains quite similar. Bolivia is just an
example of the needs, fears, and inequities in the region. So, going back to “the blame game”, who
can be blamed for the populist response Latin people have been giving to circumstances? The white
supremacy? The Spanish–colonial “invaders”? The capitalism that oppressed native people for more
and more profit? The corrupt governments we had for decades? The military which, coup after coup,
taught people to fear asking for justice? Is it Spain? America? USA? The empire? (Note the repeated
use of the headword “THE”, a recurrent sound in Spanish meant to pinpoint someone as an

8
In Opinion, newspaper https://www.opinion.com.bo/articulo/el-pais/cultura-colla-expande-
departamentos-oriente-sur/20180416122700610745.amp.html
9
Over 84% according to OEA
https://www.oas.org/sap/docs/permanent_council/2006/cp_doc_4115_06_eng.pdf
10
http://www.lacult.unesco.org/docc/CV_Felix_Cardenas_Aguilar.pdf
11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZPxERL5E5A
12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAY6e0cWq38 This video was shot in November 2019 during the
strike in all Bolivia´s nine states, the strike lasted 21 days before Evo Morales´ resignation.
13
https://www.facebook.com/200586404047/posts/10157967179924048/
institution). Under populist governments “The empire” often refers to America (USA) as a political-
economic power.

It actually doesn´t matter. For one thing, in Latin America we are specialized in looking for the
“guilty” one – Oppenheimer says it´s because we did not have a scientific education, therefore, are
not able to “break” a problem into pieces, and think –naively– that if we find “the guilty one”,
everything will be solved - it doesn´t matter who did what to whom or why. We are here now. And
a more interesting question appears here: why did these people stood, and dared to oppose a 14
year ruler with their lives at risk?

A long way in the same path.

Bolivia knows populism very well. Ever since it´s foundation, the country always had populist
leaders, just were not named as such. The 1st Bolivian president was one of the liberators: José
Antonio de Sucre. He was a military, not quite prepared to rule a country. His strength was in the
battlefield, not in politics or government. However, he did a good job during the first two years,
mostly assuming the French constitution for an American model. It is written that Bolivar was first
named President of Bolivia (the 1st country to revolt again the Spanish crown but the last to gain its
freedom) but declined the offer and ordered Antonio José de Sucre to rule in his place. It was Sucre
who accepted the Bolivians claim not-to-be-part of the big “American country” that Bolivar had
dreamed, as part of former “Alto Peru”, and Bolivar privately condemned Sucre for doing so. But
both Bolivar, and Sucre made decisions based on the popular cry.14 Historian Alexander Tellería,
states:

“Until that moment, Bolívar did not accept the independence of the new republic, but what
deeply moved him was the attitude of the popular masses, his interest and dream of a
great nation ended with this official declaration: Bolivia as the favorite daughter .”
(Tellería, 2018)

We live in a populist period. We have lived in a populist period ever from the beginning of our
history.

And schools were part of it from the beginning. Bolivia saw the light in 1825, education was not a
right for everyone then. Over a century went by until real change took place. Meanwhile, the sons
and heirs of the same Spanish that had ruled the indigenous people, took over the government,
approving laws and contracts mostly for their own good, forgetting that it was that native population
that fought side by side with them to expel the Spanish rulers (Demélas-Bohy, 2006).15

For almost 100 years there were not revolts or commotion in Bolivia, the indigenous people could
not vote and were not considered actual members of society. They were not sold as slaves but they
worked under similar conditions, the “mita” was abolished in 1812, almost 20 years before Bolivia
declared independency from Spain, however, the conditions under which the indigenous people

14
https://alexandertelleria.com/analisis-profundo-del-acta-de-independencia-de-bolivia/
15
Marie-Danielle Demélas-Bohy, Cartes et chroniques de guerre. À propos d’une carte du Haut-Pérou
(1782) in Des Indes occidentales à l’Amérique Latine. Volume 2, Centro de estudios mexicanos y
centroamericanos, 2006
worked in the “silver era” in Bolivia from 1830 – 1850 were not that different (Platt, 1997). Native
people had no right to be educated, they could not learn how to read, or attend schools, and could
not do so for many more years. They were part of the economy, the silver exploitation of Potosi
mines were tightly related to the cheap handwork of the indigenous people. Why would any native
need to learn how to read or write? They had the mines to work. In fact, the peasants´ work was so
important in the wheel that when the “mita”16 was abolished, it caused a shaken in the colonial
economy ways.
“The failure of the English capitals in Potosí at the beginning of the Republic is mainly
due to the lack of Mitayo Indians - an essential element in the profitability of the colonial
sugar mills” (Platt, 1997)17

For over 100 years, Bolivian rulers tried to establish a free, universal, school. At least on paper, most
initiatives died due to the absence of financing.18 Warisata school has been an object of study
because as early as 1930 sought to install the principles of the communitarian school under the
principle: rural schools must be for the peasants. Meanwhile, traditional school went through
different stages but always looking abroad. In the early 1900 some of the subjects kids had to study
were Logic, French, English, Art, Medicine, Drawing, and Gymnastics, some even had Latin and
Economy classes for the sons of the Bank Managers, politicians, and artists. Finally, in the 1952
Revolution of Bolivia, they indigenous people were acknowledged as citizens of the country,
therefore, with right to free education in the same conditions as everybody else. This gave birth to
state schools mostly and had an impact on education´s philosophy, as analyzed below:
The reform had to do with the effort to scale up education and that was undoubtedly the
most obvious result of the revolutionary change. The explosion of rural schools was very
significant although there was no correlation between number and quality. Taken as a
whole, the educational reform that modified the curriculum and attempted to inject content
to reinforce national identity into educational processes, faced a system of normal schools
incapable of training high-level teachers. The overcrowding resulted in poor academic
performance, inadequate supervision, and a unionization process that, politicized as it was,
did not give prominence to the ranks of academic demand. Low teacher salaries were also
an Achilles heel of the system, resulting in many underpaid teachers and an education below
essential standards. (Educación en Bolivia, Historia de la educación en Bolivia, 1993) 19

From 1825 to 1952, Bolivia both loved and hated some of his populist leaders, even publicly
executed some, setting up busts in the same squares where their influential had been hanged. Some
of them were military called “the people´s general”, and such nicknames show again Bolivians´
inclination to enthrone their leaders. 20 In 1952, the chieftain was Victor Paz Estenssoro. The Bolivian

16
Mita was a work system under which indigenous people had to work in mining 24 hours in 6, 12 or even
18 hours shifts. When a shift ended, another followed, so mining could never stop. It has been calculated
that thousands died in this shifts, which is why the Spanish crown abolished the system for considering it
worse than slavery.
17
Platt Tristan, “Production, technology and work in the Rivera de Potosí during the early Republic”, 1992

18
https://educacionbolivia.yaia.com/historia2.html
19
This is a non-official translation of the original document.
20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6NDCOavsNw
people actually took the palace and “guarded” it until Paz Estenssoro was brought back from exile
where he had fled since his life was in danger. This populist leader had the longest time in the
government. He was elected president 4 different times.

Here again, let´s highlight the importance of the Bolivian example. Fidel Castro referred to 1952
Revolution when he took over Cuba. He mentioned that the Bolivian people had overcome the
military with only the fight for their rights.21
(Likewise,) the Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, during his plea "History will
absolve me", on October 16, 1953, put this Bolivian process as a reference, saying
that it was a myth that modern weapons made it impossible for the people to fight
openly and front against tyranny.

“No weapon, no force is capable of defeating a people that decides to fight for their
rights. Past and present historical examples are countless. The case of Bolivia is very
recent, where the miners, with dynamite sticks, defeated and crushed the regiments
of the regular army", he stressed. (Published in 2020)

Similarly, this past October and November, Venezuela and Nicaragua were looking closely on
Bolivia´s social media to learn the “how-to” of a bloodless revolution.

So, education was used by both the populist government to form an “anti-white” mindset in the
next generation, but it was also used by traditional elite groups to keep some nations (in Bolivia they
used to be 80% of the population back in the early Republic times) out of the knowledge that can
bring well-being and justice. The 1952 Revolution most mentioned reform was the Agrarian reform
where peasants were given land for free under the principle “the land is for the one that is working
it”. This pages will not refer to the social and economic results of that reform, but it is only
mentioned to highlight the fact that the populism makes echo of the “ancient” injustice done, or to
the “old ways” under which the said oppressed nations suffered.22

Back to the future.

With all that history in mind, it might be easier to understand Morales´ popularity in Bolivia. He
represents something: “one of us in the power” (never mind he is good at it or bad, he is still “one
of us” up there). Maybe president Obama brought such a feeling to the African-American
community, not comparing their capability whatsoever, only comparing this “racial” struggle that
can “finally” be crowned with “victory”. Even so, after 14 years, almost 70% of the country rebelled
against him and finally forced him to resign and flee the country. Let´s get into that.

As someone well expressed “Populists typically resent educated elites”. This was more and more
evident in Bolivia after the first years of Morales government (note that Bolivia has always had a
weakness for populist leaders, so we are not reviewing the socialist model or the religious
tendencies but the populism in essence, not from a scholar point of view but from a living
testimony). Former president Morales would refer to professional, and graduate scholars with jokes
and contempt. In the beginning he had his share of “counselors” that had different tittles and skills,
but with time, more and more, over and over, he´d name a miner Health Minister or a housewife as

21
https://www.telesurtv.net/news/ocho-datos-triunfo-revolucion-nacional-boliviana-20200415-0044.html
22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXH3XGaM1k4
Justice Minister and mock lawyers, doctors – specially doctors – and economist in public speeches.
There is some record of it in the media, but the point of this is: he never mocked the teachers. On
the contrary, he earned their good will and “entrusted” them with the “reformation of the mind” of
the new generations so that the future Bolivian would be proud of his ancestors and rejected “the
empire” influence. Schools began to receive less and less contents and lots of money was spent in…
soccer fields. The Education Ministry became a Public Relations office for the soccer-playing-
president whom insisted in opening many of those soccer fields in small towns. When asked about
building hospitals instead, he actually said that building a soccer field was the same as building a
hospital because it kept people healthy. 23

In the calling for this Essays, editors stated: “Elite intellectuals like Milton Friedman (1962) provided
much of the theorizing behind the global movement for school choice; yet the concept suits
populism. School choice is the ultimate populist reform. In short, for both consumers and providers,
we conceptualize choice as empowering the powerless, at the expense of often arrogant experts
and distant governing boards.” It can also empower the regular citizen under a powerful, not-
distant-at all but closely looking government. School choice is the opportunity of choice, wherever
such opportunities are decreasing.

From 2015 to 2019 school choice in Bolivia turned out to be a dangerous path.

Little mouse scampers in the darkness.

A swift homeschooling chronology.

La Paz – Bolivia, May 1st, 2015, International Worker´s Day, holyday. Twelve families get together to
discuss possible ways to get approval of laws favoring homeschooling.

Rather than talking about methods, umbrella schools, or teachers preparedness, they discuss terms
such as “jail”, “trial” and “loss of children custody”. Over the past 5 years, Bolivians have been
silently observing the laws restrain more and more the family´s participation in their children´s lives.
(Ross, 2015). A law is being discussed in Congress whether children custody should pass to the State
from age 3 or earlier. The churches and NGOs voices rang the alarm and families protest, walking
around congress, signing notebooks with petitions. With a weaker and tired social representation
some pro-life organizations combine efforts to oppose the bill, and the bill is left down.

In March, leaders traveled to Santiago de Chile, to learn from the oldest and stronger homeschooler
community there. And learn they did. Chileans are aware of which laws are their Congress discussing
at what time and they both support or resist them accordingly to their beliefs. In past years,
Education Laws in Bolivia allowed families to homeschool their kids for a number of reasons, the
actual term “homeschooling” was not in the law, but it was a path that was allowed, should the
parent find out a curricula that suited best his or her kid, and if the parent could stand his case in
front of the school, some changes could be made. (Ross, 2017)

In subsequent years, the law changed, homeschooling was only permitted to exceptional children,
after a committee´s revision of the case. Finally, in 2015 it was not permitted at all, the only thing a

23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfQd6zzsJiU
parent could do with an exceptional kid is have him or her jump ahead one year in the school system.
The Lay is closing in the families, slowly, but firmly.

2016 La Paz homeschoolers community reaches out for international help and guidance24 such as
HSLDA, and the Red Pro Vida. Learning about the principles in law: family is older than the state,
therefore, State cannot interfere with the family´s sphere of influence. Santa Cruz homeschoolers
community is created, gathering together around 20 families in the country. Santa Cruz people are
loud and laughing, they are not willing to go on trial for their children´s custody. Around 12
Alternative schools open up to respond to the families need to gain some more space in what their
children are learning and from whom.

2017 Connections are made with Argentina and Colombia. Homeschooling community learn about
Curricula Providers all around the world. The first agreement with an umbrella school is signed off
and the homeschooling community can finally “officially” begin to homeschool their kids. Study on
the paper work is done, alliances and marking of “thou shall not come close to this office” are made.
The first interviews in media occur.

2018 One more time, the leadership gathers to consider what to do about the Law. Next year is
election year in Bolivia, is it a good time to ask the Government to consider homeschooling? The
argument that the homeschooling is a minority and that most left governments rule for minorities
is considered and discarded. The community decides to wait one more time. Cochabamba city
homeschooling community is born with around 10 families. Community is aware that as times goes
by, the “bigger institution (State) is stealing roles and rights from the smaller institution (family) and
that if this continues, soon families will not even know which rights belong to families and which
don´t with the result of the smaller institution resigning it´s responsibility in the end”. (Rienow,
2018). First impasses with the teaching community occur, the teachers consider homeschoolers as
either crazy people or enemies.

2019 Half of the year goes by trying to figure out if it is a good moment to present a Law bill on
homeschooling. Finally, the Education Ministry decides that instead, they simply are not at home.
Nobody is working at the Ministry of Education´s office, everybody is busy with elections.
Homeschooler community gives up with the bill. However, these past 2 years of discussing the
growing role of the state has prepared them for a bigger task. Many of the homeschoolers –as usual–
are leaders in religious groups. When election fraud is proven in Bolivia25 homeschoolers use their
own networks for pacific resistance and teaching. Not alone, but with many other as “Rios de pie”26
and with millions of Bolivians, they take the streets and declare a strike until new elections are held.

Some people of Homeschooling Bolivia were threatened during October and November, houses
invaded, IP followed and identified. Should things gone different, maybe some would have to flee
the country by now.

24
http://redprovida.com/menos-estado-mas-familia-no-al-enganoso-proyecto-de-garantias-de-la-
ninez/#:~:text=Que%20en%20las%20definiciones%20legislativas,iguales%20en%20dignidad%20y%20derech
os.
25
https://elpotosi.net/nacional/20191025_ingeniero-de-sistemas-mostro-como-se-hizo-el-fraude.html
26
https://www.facebook.com/RiosDePie/videos/hermanos-y-hermanas-de-boliviaesta-fue-nuestra-
participaci%C3%B3n-en-su-totalidad-en-/1037518996588857/
 ------ 0 ------

Choice is dangerous for the populist ruler. I cannot back this is up with a reference in a book, it is
something Bolivian people experienced last year.

There is a symbiotic agreement between former president and some economic interests. Bolivia is
still fighting for its freedom. A new election day has been appointed, September. For Bolivia´s poor
health system, it is a crazy decision, we will be in the middle of the pandemic pick. However, if the
transitional president has been forced to appoint that date, it means that strong forces are still
trying to get hold of the country. Most people are tired and some still wish for Morales´ return. For
them, he will remain a hero, an idealized figure. It´s in the populist leader profile that his followers
cannot see his flows and mistakes. (Villegas, 2019)27.

------ 0 ------

2020 Covid 19 is amongst us since December last year. As homeschooling community in Bolivia, we
understand that we are the ones that have the longest experience in e-learning. A strategy is
designed to reach out to the community and try to help. Tips, tutorials, guidance, even coordination
with umbrella schools and coaching to migrate from regular education to homeschooling is an
everyday task from early March. We were the first ones to say that homeschooling was an option,
now we have been summoned to the Education Ministry´s office to offer advice on the regulation
of both homeschooling and e-learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Who are these homeschoolers?

“in the U.S. and likely much of the world, support for choice disproportionately comes from
the center rather than the periphery. (…) more from those with higher levels of education and
household income (Moe, 2001; Peterson, Henderson, & West, 2014; West, Henderson,
Peterson, & Barrows, 2018). It also comes more from urban than rural spaces (Shakeel &
Henderson, 2019). Thus, place may influence attitudes toward both school choice and
populism.”

In Bolivia 90% of the homeschooling community is made of families with 2 professionals, that is
when mom and dad have finished college, at the least, and earn a regular income that allows them
to have only 1 working parent or 1 working full time and the other parent only part-time, or the
chance to work from home – related to English speaking skills. (Ross, 2020). Most of these parents
studied in private schools but are not part of the highest economic and social level, they are more
in the middle class group, yet with enough yearly income as to fulfill the work conditions mentioned
early. Their kids have attended private schools, mostly religious and the parents found it not enough
for their aspirations. Almost none come from a state-school context (less than 5%) or a mono-
parental family (Ross, 2020 Study of situation of the Homeschooling community survey).
“Possibly, support for populism is a moderator for support for school choice. Robert
Franciosi’s (2004) positive interpretation posits that traditional public schools in rural
settings are smaller and serve more homogenous communities. As then community

27
Dayse Villegas, Educación en democracia para superar el caudillismo, 2019
https://www.eluniverso.com/larevista/2019/02/17/nota/7188680/educacion-democracia-superar-
caudillismo
 organizer Barack Obama tartly observed in 1995, it seems unlikely that most low income
parents would employ patronage considerations in selecting their own children’s teachers
and principals. That said, it is true that many parents living in low income rural, and urban
communities support even failing traditional public schools rather than school choice. Does
this reflect a traditional deference to authority among disempowered people generally
(Gaventa, 1982), resentment against elite outsiders criticizing local non-elite institutions
(Whitmire, 2011), that schools in low resource communities actually function reasonably
well, as Morel (2018) argues, or something else?”.

In time, it will be possible to study this. As part of their social reaching out to the community,
Homeschooling Bolivia has coordinated some families (less than 200) to migrate from the
traditional schooling to homeschooling during the Covid 19 educational crisis. In doing this, it has
been possible to observe the great level of anxiety that parents have regarding their children
education. Not only they don´t trust the traditional system, they fear it. We are gathering data on
this right now. And hope to provide some light about the strong relationship between obedience
to the system and school that can be observed, the “intense but discrete power” that Foucault
mentions has gotten deep into the parents minds. (Foucault, 1975).28
“Further, any discussion of populism must consider religion. While Western elites increasingly
eschew faith, much of the public still embraces it (Paul, 2018). Here, the populist narrative
holds. Whether in America, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, or Kazakhstan, faith based
communities marginalized by the state or society have always sought school choice, often
with great success (see works within Maranto & Shakeel, 2020; also see Berner, 2017)”.

One interesting video popped out in a YouTube channel from a Psychologist from Venezuela, he had
followed the Bolivian fraud and strike closely, offering different advice and admiration at different
times. In one of the last posts before Bolivia had again a constitutional president, he posted a video
with this introduction: “My fellow people in Venezuela (he does not live in his country), I had finally
seen the light, this is how they did it (referring to Bolivia) and I will say no more about it now, see
for yourselves”. Then he posted footage on Bolivian people on their knees in the streets in October
and November last 2019.

There is a relationship between freedom of though and religious though. Maybe Foucault would not
agree with this statement, but most school choice is given inside a religious context. Differences can
be seen in the communities. Religious people “jump” into homeschooling with a bold attitude,
convinced that they have a support in God or their teachings. While non-religion parents struggle
some more, doubting if they are making the best for their children. It is a thing to study some more.
However, that is not the issue here.

Conclusions.

So, is there a relationship between populism and school choice? Or elitism and school choice?

It is clear that theory says that more educated people are more predisposed to choose (at least they
know there is a choice). On the other hand, theory also says that the poorest or marginalized
communities are more likely to tend to school choice.

28
Vigilar y castigar, Michael Foucault, 1975
Bolivia´s homeschooling history – as a community – does not fall in any of those categories. It might
be even possible to suggest that it is also the Latin-American experience. Chile´s largest
homeschooling community is also middle class. The privatization of education back in the 70s made
it so difficult to study in the private system that homeschooling is actually an upgrade, the same
happens in Mexico. Public education is disastrous and private is only for some privileged, so
homeschooling is affordable, good education, made possible. Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica have
very good public education systems. No wonder why they have become the strongest curricula
providers in Spanish. Again, led by the middle class, not the elite. Peru is beginning to grow in
homeschooling providing, strongly related to religious communities. The same happens with Brazil,
where -even though the law forbids homeschooling- many families are taking their own government
to trial for the right to educate their children at home. Argentina is a special case, most Alternative
schools and Unschooling youtubers are from Argentina. But that deserves other time and effort.

School choice, is related to freedom. Both when people realize they have it, as when they notice
that they are losing it. Covid 19 has brought a new reality to homeschooling and e-learning, but still
it is the matter of choice, what makes a parent´s mind up. Not really the opportunity, the technology
availability, or the security of the counterpart… but more a training in choosing. Has the parent been
able to choose before? Has the family consider other options as possible? Have they questioned the
this-is-how-we-always-do-it at some point? Have they had the chance to find new horizons and
challenges? We surely hope that Bolivia´s experience with populism has brought some people in
Latin America some good lessons. We know that our homeschooling experience is doing so too.

Dorcas Ross is the founder of the bolivian homeschooling community. Her formal education
includes a Bachelor’s in Communications, and post degree studies in Philosophy of education,
Christian Worldview and Human Rights. Dorcas and her husband Dante, live in Bolivia, South
America and have been homeschooling their three daughters for the last decade and are active in
the local and national community activities.

As a professional, Dorcas has worked with both NGOs and public offices in health, economics,
culture, and education fields. She is a published author and frequent speaker in different cultural
and educational events in her country and abroad. She has an inclining to volunteering: kids in
burnt wing, children of imprisoned women, children in slums, youth in street situation, protected
areas lobbying, AIDS prevention, and lately culture bonding across countries with POA, not to
mention her efforts with the Bolivian homeschooling community for a friendlier environment to
homeschool families in her country, are some of the volunteer work she has done.

She is a strong believer and her faith has been an important approach of her latest duties helping
communities of homeschoolers in Asia, eastern Europe countries, and Latin America. She currently
Chairs the Latin-American Committee for GHEX and leads continental initiatives in Research,
Lobby/Advocacy and leadership development in the region.