Criticisms of Sandinistas’ educational methods I. Claim: The Sandinista Literacy Crusade indoctrinated

Criticisms of Sandinistas’ educational methods

I. Claim: The Sandinista Literacy Crusade indoctrinated students with values of the

revolution.

Evidence:

• Arnove illustrates this by describing an image in a textbook: “A drawing of a

boy brushing his teeth accompanied by reminders of personal hygiene was

placed next to a photograph of youth with the caption ‘Children are the

favorites of the Revolution’” (33).

• One textbook cited by Dorn reads “If the magazine of a gun holds eight

bullets, how many bullets would it take to fill two magazines?” (2).

Importance: Parents were concerned that textbooks would indoctrinate their children

with values of the revolution. This was especially concerning because during the

Nicaraguan Civil War, children were frequently persuaded to become child soldiers

and fight in the revolution (Kinzer).

II. Claim: The Sandinista educational method does not respect pluralism or freedom of

thought.

Evidence:

• Dorn offers the United States as a model: “American textbooks reflect such

traditional values as pluralism, due process under the law and free speech” (2).

• Dorn implies that Nicaraguan students were deprived of a liberal education

because they were denied access to material that criticized the Sandinista

regime and socialism.

Importance: Students now had the opportunity to get an education, but they were not

exposed to perspectives that criticized the revolution or socialist ideas. They

developed a limited world view.

III. Claim: Because Anastasio Somoza was backed by the US, anti-Somoza sentiments

were also laced with anti-American rhetoric

Evidence:

• When the Sandinistas took control, they discouraged the use of foreign texts

and translated works since they were seen as “bolstering the Somoza regime

and symbolic of Nicaragua’s economic dependence on the United States”

(Andover 32).

• One of the most famous lines from the Sandinista’s chants was, “Luchamos

contra el yanqui—el enemigo de la humanidad” (“We fight against the

yankee—the enemy of humankind.”)

Importance: Unfortunately, this tension led to sanctions against Nicaragua by the

United States. The US declared a trade embargo which adversely affected the

Nicaraguan economy and social programs (Shabad). Literature, songs, and chants

were used to fuel this adversarial relationship between the two countries.

IV. Claim: Many Nicaraguan artists and writers claimed that they felt pressured to write

in support of Sandinista beliefs, thus restricting their intellectual and creative

freedom.

Evidence:

• One writer, Cuadra, “accused the Sandinistas of insisting, like Castro in Cuba,

that arts and letters should serve the revolution” (Goldman 3).

• There was fear that the government would imprison protestors and that once

again, people would not be able to freely express their ideas without

government reprisal (Benedetti).

Importance: Although Nicaraguans were becoming literate and more educated, they

were pressured to use their talents to serve the Sandinistas. Those who opposed

government policies were pressured to keep silent.

Support for the Sandinistas’ educational methods

I. Claim: Despite its many criticisms, the Sandinista Literacy Crusade succeeded in

increasing the country’s overall literacy rate.

Evidence:

• In 1979, the literacy rate in Nicaragua was at 25 percent in rural communities

(Cardenal et al. 64)

• As of now, the literacy rate is at 83%, largely due to the Sandinistas’ efforts

(Baracco 343).

• Baracco writes, “If someone learns to read and write, they can begin to

understand the causes of poverty. They begin to understand the history of their

country” (342).

Importance: The Sandinista Literacy Crusade was effective in increasing the overall

literacy rate in Nicaragua.

II. Claim: The Literacy Crusade united the country and allowed citizens to learn from

each other.

Evidence:

• Barocco quotes a young woman, “The majority of young people

enthusiastically got involved with the process of liberating the people. They

understood literacy as a further progression of liberation from dictatorship”

(344).

• For example, many farmers did not know that they should wash produce

before eating it or how to safeguard against diseases. Consequently, many

people died of infected insect bites or malaria (Deiner 122-3). While initially

tasked with teaching people to read and write, volunteer teachers soon

incorporated other important lessons in their curriculum, like educating

farmers about sanitary practices to prevent diseases.

Importance: The Sandinista education model was thus adapted to the living

conditions of Nicaraguans rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Young people

learned from rural farmers and vice versa.

III. Claim: Sandinistas focused on providing education for all citizens, and this included

Nicaraguans with disabilities.

Evidence:Guevara 3

• The Sandinistas opened the first public deaf school

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