On the pretext of tackling segregation, the Basque Government has maintained the imbalance in Ordizia and has removed enrollment from the Public School to deliver it to Ikastola.
Just a month ago we denounced that the measures of the Department of Education to address the imbalances were to perpetuate the imbalance between schools in Ordizia. In addition, we called attention, if the Public School was not prioritized and met exclusively the demand, there was a risk that the Public School would lose enrollment, the classrooms and the lines of study, to the benefit of Ikastola.
That is not the case. The Department of Education has gone further. The Public School has had a great demand for the 2023-24 in the 2nd year of Early Childhood Education and has registered provisionally more students than at Ikastola. As has been the case in recent years, most students from families from abroad and in difficult socio-economic situations have enrolled in the Public School.
What was the intervention of the Basque Government? In the case of Ordizia, contrary to the above criteria, the places have not been awarded on demand. The Public School has had more tuition than the Ikastola and despite the fact that the Public School has five free school positions, it has allocated to the Ikastola, within the absolutely dark and subjective criteria of those who have chosen the Public School and the Department of Education, several students who have called them “vulnerable”. From Ikastola to the Public School, the only student named “not vulnerable”. What is the result? That the Basque Government has left the Public School with two less students for the benefit of Ikastola and has hardly influenced a very serious imbalance.
The cause of the imbalance cannot be in students from families from abroad, in difficult socio-economic situations or in students or families qualified as “vulnerable”
That is, the Department of Education has used a “Vulnerability Index”, which has been managed in an absolutely hidden manner, without criteria, clear and objective, in an absolutely questionable questionnaire, to demolish the Public School and deliver it to the concerted center, without hardly interfering in the imbalance. We fear, moreover, that with the award of students who register after the beginning of the course, the situation will worsen. Because there is a risk that the Department of Education will continue to harm the Public School, directing new students to Ikastola.
As we have previously pointed out, the cause of the imbalance cannot be present in pupils from families from abroad, where the socio-economic situation is difficult or where they are called “vulnerable”. Besides being discriminatory, they violate the right of every citizen to access public education and have no significant influence on realities of strong imbalance. Conversely, to the extent that they are more proportional, the distribution of those of Basque origin or of better socio-economic status has a greater impact on imbalance and therefore on balance.
The main function of the Public School is to meet the knowledge and education needs of all citizens, under conditions of equality, plurality and without discrimination. This should be guaranteed by the public administration. In Ordizia, however, it prevents equality, increases imbalances, hinders the proper management of diversity and now discriminates against students reducing the possibility of choosing public education, despite having free places in the Public School.
In Ordizia the Public School has a good number of enrolments, but we suffer an extreme imbalance. We therefore need concrete measures which, taking into account the situation in Ordizia, adapt us to our reality, support and give priority to the Public School and help to address the imbalance.
As indicated above, we will not allow ourselves to condemn the imbalance. Nor does it limit the right of the citizens of Ordizia to choose public education and to remove the students from the Public School. In addition to publicly denouncing the actions of the Basque Government, we will address all the ways in which we can deal with this situation and these measures. We have much at stake, the present and future of the Public School of Ordizia, the coexistence in Ordizia, equality, social justice, inclusion and Euskaldunization.
Association of Parents of the Ordizia Urdanetarrak Public School