Page:Historia Verdadera del Mexico profundo.djvu/94

 but most have an elevated education, in which the ethical and moral values allow access to a high quality of life. Ángel María Garibay K. translated from Nahuatl a Huehuetlahtolli where the task of the teacher is explained and allows a glimpse of the moral value of education.

"Beginning to teach them: how they shall live, how they shall obey people, how to respect them, how they shall surrender to the appropriate, the right, and how to avoid the non—convenient, not right, strongly fleeing from evil and greed. Everyone there strongly received: prudence and wisdom".

As it has already been noted, education was not limited to the school. The House, the calpulli, the family were perhaps the center and beginning of the educational system of the ancient Mexican. Children from birth to the age of seven were tenderly cared for at homes. But when they attended the Telpochcalli their education became very strict and disciplined. The concept of educational institutions was that they should be self-sufficient. Reason why they were assigned farmlands for the calpulli, so that the students and teachers prepared the land, planted and harvested. They made their land produce, exploited natural resources rationally, fished, hunted and gathered. But they also built and maintained their buildings and gardens. They produced their belongings, tools, textiles and clothing, according to the region and the resources. The concept was that in making self-sufficient schools, pupils learned to be self-sufficient at home. Education went from older to younger and very disciplined.


 * "They were carefully taught

the songs, ____________________