J. Freeland, WHY GO TO SCHOOL TO LEARN MISKITU - CHANGING CONSTRUCTS OF BILINGUALISM, EDUCATION AND LITERACY AMONG THE MISKITU OF NICARAGUA ATLANTIC COAST, International journal of educational development, 15(3), 1995, pp. 245-261
The Miskitu Indians of Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast have been the object
of various efforts to educate them, based on different ideological as
sumptions, especially as to their linguistic needs. This paper analyse
s the history of their experience of education and language planning w
ithin the framework of the 'new literacy studies', as a dynamic intera
ction between opposed cultural constructs. In particular, it explores
how this experience affected the Miskitu demand for, and response to,
bilingual education from the Sandinista Revolution. Finally, it sugges
ts how Miskitu cultural constructs might be taken into account in the
design and delivery of future educational programmes for them.