In Inter-America, Church launches brand new textbooks for hundreds of its Adventist schools

Lengua Española 1 is the new textbook  available for the hundreds of schools across the IAD. Image provided by IADPA

February 8, 2017 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/IAD

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America recently launched the first of a series of textbooks for thousands of pupils across Adventist schools in the territory.

The brand new Spanish language textbooks will be used for first graders in 422 primary schools in the Spanish-speaking countries in the Inter-American Division (IAD).

“This is a dream that our Division has had for decades and is becoming a reality,” said Dr. Gamaliel Flórez, education director for the church in Inter-America. Already, the department has produced and distributed Bible textbooks for grades K-8 in English, Spanish, and French, and soon will have high school Bible textbooks available, but starting to create and produce a Spanish textbook has been quite an accomplishment, said Flórez.

The new textbook has integration of faith is in every part of it. Image provided by IADPA

The strategy of the department to begin developing Spanish textbooks for its primary, or elementary, schools had to do with how similar educational programs are in the Hispanic countries in the IAD, explained Flórez.

Flórez said that there are many good Spanish language textbooks available, but many contain fictional stories that have to do with spiritism, evolution, and other subject matter contraty to biblical teachings.

“Our textbooks need to reflect our Adventist philosophy, so that we can teach children about the love of Jesus and how they can serve Him,” explained Flórez.

The new textbook was developed by a group of seasoned teachers and educators from the IAD, under the leadership of Faye Patterson, associate education director overseeing primary and secondary education for the church in Inter-America.

“The integration of faith in every part of the new textbooks has been a priority,” said Patterson. Patterson worked in meetings for months in shaping the new textbook and ensuring that it met government standards in the different Spanish countries of the IAD territory. Before publication, the textbook was sent to several schools for feedback. “We received so many positive reviews, and adjusted to the observations provided,” said Patterson.

Inter-American Division Publishing Association (IADPA) is the editor and publisher of the first grade Spanish language textbook as well as an online teacher’s guide textbook. In addition, IADPA is printing children’s books that complement the new Spanish textbooks classes.

The new second grade Spanish textbook will be available in the coming weeks, Patterson said.

Some 422 Adventist primary schools will be able to use the new textbooks for their first graders. Image by Libna Stevens/IAD

The dream is to also provide textbooks in English and French territory but there are a lot of differences in educational systems in the English-speaking countries and islands as well as our French-speaking territory, according to Flórez.

“IADPA is looking into other Adventist publishing houses about the possibility of developing English language arts textbooks for our English-speaking primary schools” said Flórez.

Plans are underway to develop math and science textbooks intertwined with faith concepts, added Flórez.

“Our interest is to teach biblical principles and yes we teach respect toward different thinking, but our schools are there to form children and young people in the Adventist faith,” said Flórez, who also emphasized that more tan 60 percent of the student in the 654 primary schools are not of the Adventist faith.

“Our faith based textbooks will help teach students and effect positive changes in their lives, and in turn extending that to their families and their community,” Flórez said.

Adventist schools in Inter-America can order the new textbooks through their local union office.

The Inter-American Division oversees 654 primary schools including 422 in Spanish, 83 in English and 149 in the French territories, where over 82,000 students attend every year.

For more information on Inter-America’s Education Department and activities, visit interamerica.org