As you will recall, last spring members of the Platform Aulas de la Experiencia Euskaraz Ere Bai gave a message that citizenship can also carry out in Basque the courses organized by the Experience Class of the University of the Basque Country.
The message was addressed to the Basque community of Donostialdea, both to the individuals and entities that make up Euskalgintza. We mentioned the message but, to tell the truth, we had to write the message/request, because in addition to informing, we asked the recipients for help. More specifically, they were required to sign up to support the initiative. The signature was a kind of collection of signatures, but avoiding the technical difficulties that it usually presents. We are satisfied with the results obtained: We received the approval of 163 people and four organisations, although the resources used are modest. That is why we would like to thank all the people who supported this project.
Now we will pay off the debt we have with you and to do so we will explain how we have used the data received. We drew up a report with the arguments on which our request is based, with a number of proposals and, in order to strengthen the document, with your data, which are set out in an annex. We have been sleek, and with that we have turned to those responsible for the courses.
They have received us well, kind and generous with their time, and we have all felt a tendency towards our request. However, they have all made clear, more or less, the great difficulty of such a project in the field of infrastructure. And not only that, but the majority have told us that they do not believe that in the possible Basque language of the courses there are enough students. However, we are hopeful of all the meetings, especially the last one.
At that meeting, the Basque Vice-Chancellor told us that those admitted for the next course will be asked a survey to see how many would be willing to do the second four-month full course in Basque. And he confirms that, if twenty people appear, the second four-month of the first year (February, March, April and May 2025), it will also be seen in Basque. A truly satisfying piece of news.
“Then, we said to each other, the ball is on the roof of the 50 people who will start next course. Will you realize the importance of your answers?” On the other hand, will the objective of the event be clearly indicated at the time of the survey? We believe that, and hence our hope.
In this sense, we would like to make a special appeal to the Euskaldunes of these 50 people, and to those who for lack of space have been watching the following year: that they make an effort and show themselves in favor of making the second four-month course in Euskera, even if the initial option is in favor of Castilian. Taking into account that, in order to make the linguistic transition easier, teaching materials will also be offered in Spanish.
So the door that the Basque country has found closed for many years will gradually open, and that is not, as it is not the mid-night cough of the goat.
Maria Manterola, Eider Saragueta, Ander Trigos
Experience Classrooms Euskaraz Ere Bai Plataforma