Children’s literature in public schools in Colombia: tensions, achievements and challenges

Abstract

This article explores the current presence of children’s literature in the Colombian public schools that participated in this study. This in-depth analysis is framed by a narrative study conducted through field work in educational institutions in six departments of the country. The article shows a historical vision of the triad conformed by schools, childhood, and children’s literature, analyzing the tensions, achievements, and challenges implied by this interrelation of concepts. The findings are contrasted with the most recent version of the guidelines developed by Colombia’s Ministry of National Education (MEN, in Spanish), regarding the expectations for the presence of literature in schools. The conclusions highlight the importance of allowing the teacher to become a reader of children’s literature, as this is considered an essential condition for his/her training as a literature mediator. Furthermore, we encourage prioritizing sensory literary experiences in schools over the didactization of literary art, thus making it possible to reconfigure both the life of the student child and the teacher’s existence.