WILLEMSTAD – The role of Dutch in Caribbean education has emerged as one of the issues being examined in a research project exploring how the legacy of colonialism continues to affect Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.
The REPAIR – Learning Cultural Justice from the ABC Islands project challenges the idea that repairing colonial injustice is limited to apologies or financial compensation. Researchers and cultural organizations are also looking at education, language, identity and control over cultural heritage.
One of the clearest examples comes from Aruba, where Cas di Cultura director Vicky Arens-Tjon-A-Tjoe questions the position Dutch continues to occupy within the education system.
She considers it problematic that Dutch is treated as a primary language of education while Papiamento is the mother tongue of many Aruban children.
According to Arens-Tjon-A-Tjoe, Dutch should instead be approached more as a language children acquire from the foundation of their own language.
She also raises another question: if proficiency in Dutch is considered essential because students may later pursue higher education in the Netherlands, why is Dutch not made much more widely available outside the classroom through television, radio, children's programming and other forms of exposure?
The discussion extends beyond language.
Arens-Tjon-A-Tjoe argues that colonialism has left psychological and educational patterns that can still influence how people perceive themselves. She points to teaching practices in which children may be shamed, intimidated or expected to remain quiet instead of being encouraged to ask questions, develop opinions and express themselves.
She contrasts this with an educational culture in the Netherlands where, in her view, children are more frequently encouraged to speak up.
For her, repairing the consequences of colonialism can therefore also mean strengthening people's knowledge of their own origins, customs and culture. Greater cultural confidence can help people respond when their identity or background is dismissed or treated as inferior.
The researchers stress, however, that Aruba's experience should not automatically be applied to Curaçao or Bonaire.
Researcher Camila Malig notes that the three islands have different histories as well as different constitutional relationships with the Netherlands. Those differences influence government structures, cultural policy and decision-making about heritage.
The project also examines the Netherlands itself.
The Eye Filmmuseum is reviewing and restoring its collection relating to the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. Chief curator Leenke Ripmeester says there are gaps in both the collection and knowledge of Caribbean film culture.
Collaboration with organizations and experts on the islands is intended to help fill those gaps and make the material accessible not only in the Netherlands but also to communities in the Caribbean to which the material relates.
Ultimately, REPAIR raises a question that extends from classrooms to museums and archives: who gets to decide what repairing the legacy of colonialism should look like?
The researchers say there is no single answer. On Aruba, the debate may begin with the language used to teach a child; on Curaçao, with how forgotten histories are given renewed meaning; and on Bonaire, with who has the resources and authority to preserve local heritage.