We look again with envy at regulated education from the watchtower of the Basque Country. On the occasion of the new law, due to the strong debates (with a call for strike), some keys have been put on the table in what is still draft.
The hardest debate is in the conceptualization of advertising. Well, in Euskaltegis there are Euskaltegis of public ownership (in a few municipalities, with different legal nature and not constituting a network), Euskaltegis of public initiative that offer public service (non-profit), church holders and, unlike regulated education, companies that also receive public money.
The “multilingual model” is also a source of conflict in education. It should be a “complete model D”, since immersion has been the only one that has served the process of Euskaldunization. But it is true that it has much to improve in foreign languages. Proper treatment of languages can considerably improve the learning of the third and fourth languages. To delve into methodologies and materials, the draft contemplates the creation of the “Euskera Learning Institute”. We would be happy to share Euskaltegi tools.
"Accepting that there is no healthy envy, I would ask the experts, the unions, the politicians… to also stand up for Euskaldunization and Adult Literacy!"
Each educational centre shall draw up a linguistic project taking into account the socio-linguistic context, led and evaluated by experts. Euskaltegis had to do the resume five or six years ago, but without experts either before or after, and there are the resumes, lost in deep drawers.
The document also mentions the inspection system, but as a tool to analyze and improve the reality of the centers. In the Basque Country, the work of the inspectors has been limited to checking that the students have paid the tuition.
It also refers to affecting ecosystems. We've long been saying that ecosystems must be our goal, not individuals. For example, sports trainers in schools, parents, teachers, other workers, newly arrived students without Euskera to school… all of them and the school’s own plan of use are our areas of work! Same for companies, administrations or any ecosystem. But nowhere do they take us into account.
It also talks about teacher training as a workers' right. Eyes reading this cake. I still owe HABE a course held 8 years ago in my free days!
Therefore, and recognizing that there is no healthy envy, I would ask the experts, the unions, the politicians… to also stand up for Euskaldunization and Adult Literacy! The education draft itself can be useful to start with.