Research for Language Policy in Surinamese Education

In this paper, the on-going process of language policy-making in Suriname is dealt with using quantitative data obtained from students as well as teachers in primary and secondary schools. The Republic of Suriname is a former Dutch colony on the Caribbean coast of South America. Suriname shelters around 20 languages. Dutch is the official language since 1667, while Sranan is the local lingua franca among the various ethnic groups. The languages other than Dutch are restricted mainly to domestic and rural domains and they are hardly used in public institutions like schools. Most children acquire one or more languages in the home and are exposed to multiple other languages in society. Upon starting school they are submerged in Dutch-medium education. In line with Surinamese Ministry of Education's request, we carried out a country-wide home language survey with 22,643 students and 3785 teachers in primary and secondary education. The outcomes of the surveys are evaluated against the language policy discussi...