The people who signed this are many mothers and fathers who have made the choice to live in Basque. Although tens of kilometres separate us, one thing unites us: we want our sons and daughters to be able to live in Basque as well. Unfortunately, we in our peoples find it very difficult to achieve this objective. In fact, Basque children between the ages of 2 and 14 who live in Castilian speaking areas are not usually easy to speak in Basque in the park, on the street or at school. At school, it should be a matter of priority to create respiratory areas for children in Castilian or Spanish speaking areas. But instead, in educational centers, vasco-parlant boys and girls are dispersed and, as a result, they are often made Castilanospeakers, either because a mistaken strategy is followed or, worse still, because there is no strategy. How is it possible to turn the space that should be the respiratory space to strengthen the Basque country into a center of transformation?
In order for our sons and daughters to live comfortably in Euskera, we register at the schools of the Public School and at the ikastoles of Ikastolen Elkartea, trusting that to the extent that these centers have as their mission the promotion of the Basque, our objective would be guaranteed. But the situation that we have found in these centres, far from contributing to the achievement of that objective, leaves us away. In fact, in the recreational environment of our sons and daughters, and to a large extent in the classroom, the language used by our partners is Spanish.
"Who wins in the linguistic field with the current grouping criteria? If the Basque child tends to Spanish, who will do it in Basque?"
As a result, our sons and daughters have developed disappointing beliefs regarding the use of Euskera, related to the fear of integration problems that may result from the non-use of Spanish. These are the following: “Since I am the only one who speaks Basque, for not being different, sometimes I have to do it in Spanish” or “Ama, friends have told me why I don’t speak Spanish? Do you leave me?” Thus, we have resorted to speaking in Spanish or not having (or few) interaction with those who speak in Spanish. They suffer from linguistic stress, and this also affects them in the use of the Basque Country, for the worst of the cases.
UEMA (Commonwealth of Basque Municipalities) proposes the following for the classroom areas: “Classrooms: In these types of spaces, the road is to bring Euskaldunes children and young people together in classrooms and specific spaces, as undoubtedly the aerial and motor effect is only possible through the creation of these small respiratory centers. In this type of area (…) the opposite happens if minority language speakers are mixed in the framework of the hegemonic language and culture: the minority language is always, without exception, disappearing”.
In the Castilian and Parasitic centres, it is therefore essential not to distinguish between Basque children at school. Because in no process of revitalization is there the confusion of the few speakers who are spreading a language among the users of the hegemonic language. In doing so, the opposite is happening: the minority language is weakened. Therefore, the road is to create functional respirators, so that our children live in Euskera normally, without distress. In classrooms that will become respiratory zones, the motor effect and the antenna will only occur if children come together.
However, when we ask that we associate our children with other vasco-speakers, they have denied us the opportunity, “in the name of pedagogical criteria, diversity and inclusiveness”. We do not share it at all. Can diversity and inclusiveness only be guaranteed in Spanish? We also want plurality and inclusiveness, but in our people, from our language, the Basque language. As in any normal village.
Who wins in the linguistic field with the current grouping criteria? If a Basque child goes to Spanish, who will do it in Basque? Now everyone is defeated.
We know that in all of Euskal Herria there are many fathers and mothers who experience the same situation as we do. We call you to join us. Let us open this debate together, let us mobilise those who have the competence to change the situation. We are sure that among all of us we will be able to guarantee the right to live in Basque for our sons and daughters.