<b>Deprivatizing education in Nicaragua: the ‘participative education revolution’ and ‘21st Century Socialism’</b> - doi: 10.4025/actascieduc.v34i2.17976

• Main Author: Thomas Muhr
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Estadual de Maringá 2012-11-01
• Series: Acta Scientiarum : Education
• Subjects: ALBA; democracia; desprivatização; desenvolvimento; Nicarágua; regionalismo; socialismo
• Online Access: http://periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/ActaSciEduc/article/view/17976

This article investigates aspects of Nicaragua’s ‘participative education revolution’ in relation to the ‘Citizen Power’ national development model and the construction of ‘21st century socialism’ in Latin America and the Caribbean through the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America - Peoples’ Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP). Centred around the notion of ‘revolutionary democracy’, which is the definitional foundation of the envisioned 21st century socialism, I argue that Citizen Power as promoted by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) since returning to government in January 2007 means the structural transformation from neoliberalism to socialism. The article, however, does not provide a comprehensive analysis of the FSLN education policies. Rather, I draw attention to the deprivatisation of education and it s reinstitution as a human right and state responsibility, whilst exploring two elements of the participative education revolution of direct relevance to the construction of 21st century socialism: the National Literacy Campaign ‘From Martí to Fidel’ and the Great National Consultation for the Reform of the Basic and Medium Education Curriculum of 2007/2008. <p> </p> <div><hr size="1" /></div>