Language planning and education in Aruba: Contexts and contradictions

Abstract

This study is an investigation of issues of language planning and education in Aruba and how these might facilitate effective change on the island. The questions for this study were. (1) What are the predominant language varieties in Aruba, and to what uses are they put? (2) What is the official plan the Aruba government has put into place for educational change? (3) What generalizable implications for language planning and education surface from an in depth look at the context in Aruba? Major findings are the following: (1) The four predominant languages in Aruba are Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish and English. Papiamento is the indigenous language of the island used at home and as the lingua franca for island business. Dutch is the language of all official government documents and is the medium of instruction in the schools. Spanish language is utilized in homes of Aruban immigrants from Spanish speaking homelands and is commonly spoken among tourists and businesses catering to tourism. English is the vernacular language used at home for many Aruban families living in the San Nicolas geographic area of Aruba and is the language that dominates the tourism business. (2) The Aruban Department of Education has developed various plans for innovative change for their education system and is working in conjunction with several other agencies to bring systematic change to education in Aruba. These plans address language issues among others and are being implemented as legal strides are made. (3) In the context of Aruban culture and language, (a) education professionals have a responsibility to explore the ideological foundations of their theories and practices, (b) a commitment to structural equality is necessary, and (c) commitment to language planning in Aruba, and in any nation, requires a commitment to the struggle for language rights. Aruba's current political efforts are focused on initiating change for educational practice and theory. Aruba is in a position of unlimited possibilities to plan, design, and implement a new revised educational system that will change the culture of schooling in Aruba.