THE SCHOOL IN THE QUECHUA AND AYMARA COMMUNITIES OF HIGHLAND BOLIVIA

Drawing on field research, this paper examines the inherently ambiguou s position of the teacher and the school in Quechua- and Aymara-speaki ng communities of highland Bolivia. The traditional school is not only a vehicle for hispanisation, But also plays a key role in encouraging social and cultural change. This feature comes to the fore during pat riotic school-focused ceremonies that take place annually in the month of August. Discourse analysis of teachers' speeches is set in the con text of a more general discussion of the varying attitudes towards sch ool and schooling held by parents and teachers alike, and the paper wi ll suggest a framework for interpretation of these variations in terms of socioeconomic, cultural and linguistic factors.