WHY GO TO SCHOOL TO LEARN MISKITU - CHANGING CONSTRUCTS OF BILINGUALISM, EDUCATION AND LITERACY AMONG THE MISKITU OF NICARAGUA ATLANTIC COAST

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.