Malvinas at school: resignation and reflections on the occasion of the 40 years of war

Abstract

In commemoration of the Malvinas war 40th anniversary, it becomes essential to reflect on its importance and how Malvinas is taught at school. The quote “Malvinas are Argentinian” is etched on the memory of every school and on the heart of each Argentine. Nevertheless, little is known about its history beyond the event remembered on its anniversary – April 2nd – or about current issues linked to it well as to the strong claim to sovereignty. This essay aims at rethinking the relationship between school-event-new generations. What do new generations know and understand about Malvinas? Which aspects do not provide thorough analysis of the Question of the Malvinas Islands? How and what ought to be communicated about it? How much value or importance is given to the veterans and the casualties? This essay will recover multiple contributions by different authors who have analyzed how the Question of Malvinas is taught at school and explained in textbooks, as well as different research into secondary school students’ knowledge of the topic. A complex, comprehensive, and intergenerational approach will contribute to redefine the event and the question at present.