Abstract

The following essay is a reflection on the factors affecting the lack of speeches and research related to gender issues, by teachers in Latin America. In view of the teacher silence about gender discrimination, a number of research papers showing sexism in schools are synthesized. Then, a series of arguments about why teachers keep silent in relation to gender issues in the educational sphere are presented. In addition to that, the following factors, which are considered to exert influence on the attitude shown by teachers in the classroom are explained: The trivialization of human rights, the idealistic educational fads, which are aseptic to sexuality and gender, contemporary epistemological relativism, the puritan tradition of the eminent moral teaching, the androcentric interests of the boss educational State, the embodied gender stereotypes of educational actors and their ignorance of gender studies. As a conclusion, it is believed that gender discrimination in Latin American schools is a rampant reality, supported by the teachers̛̛ silence and skepticism.

Keywords: sexism; gender; teachers; schools; silence