The members of the Public School of Ordizia have been calling for measures and tools to help us to address the imbalances we suffer, as well as the schools of eleven corners of the Basque Country. It came to us as a gift from Olentzero, wrapped in an elegant role, a vulnerability index and a tool to guide the imbalance between schools. But when we started removing the paper, we realized that the toy had serious mistakes.

How is it possible to ask each family whether they have Netflix or not, how many bathrooms they have at home, number of smartphones, tablets or e-books of family members, whether they have access to the Internet... and not to take into account the recognition of the income of the most objective families, properties, origin, knowledge of the Basque or the use of social or social support services? The questionnaire leaves a wide margin of subjectivity. And so, knowing that the school plaza can be at stake, families can give the answers that suit them the most.

In Ordizia the overall migration rate is 19 per cent. While 37 per cent of families of children under 5 years of age originate abroad, the proportion of children enrolled in the Public School is 56 per cent. This proportion is even higher in the 2 year classrooms where vulnerability measures are adopted. 38% of the parents or guardians of students enrolled in Ordizia are unable to work in Basque, compared to 59% of the parents and guardians of students enrolled in the public school. And almost all students from families in Ordizia who are in a difficult socioeconomic situation and receive the intervention or support of the Social Services study at the Public School.

The imbalance at source between schools in Ordizia is 31.5 percentage points. It has grown 25.5 points in the last 8 courses. There is an imbalance of 48 percentage points in the Basque knowledge of the families of each school. And, as I say, almost all students and families with social needs are at the Public School.

Thus, we were surprised that the initial vulnerability rate established by the Department of Education for Ordizia was 15.96% and for the Public School was 27.91%. Although corrected after the registration process (34% for Ordizia and 51% for the Public School), the final rate is clearly below the vulnerability indicators indicated above, with direct effects on the measures to be taken.

These data, which do not match absolutely questionable criteria and realities, have been taken by the Government to implement measures of possible balance. But also in the implementation of measures, the toy has serious errors. This trend affects public centers in most cases and centers with greater vulnerability. This has happened, among other things, at the Ordizia Public School.

In Ordizia, the Public School received 47 enrollment requests for 2nd Child Education, while Jakintza Ikastola received 45. If permanent enrollment were to take place, the Public School would have seven free places. However, the Department of Education, based on the “Vulnerability Index”, totally subjective and debatable, and taking into account the reduction limit of 10% maximum imbalance between the two centers in this course, has directed the enrollment request to three students of the Public School. Instead, he directed a student from ikastola to the Public School. The final result is that he has left the Public School with better enrollment and free places with 45 students and Jakintza Ikastola 47.

That is, with the excuse of balancing vulnerability, the department of Bildarratz has revolutionized enrollment leaving the Public School with two less license plates for the benefit of Ikastola Jakintza. An absolutely amazing and denouncing movement. In fact, the reduction of imbalances would have a very similar effect if it maintained the registration of the two centres and had allocated two or three students qualified as “vulnerable” from the Public School to the Ikastola Jakintza and the same amount as the one declared “not as vulnerable” from the Ikastola Jakintza to the Public School. This would reduce the imbalance in a very similar way, maintain initial enrollment requests, improve the situation of the most vulnerable facility and prioritize or at least not harm the Public School.

Why has the Department of Education made the decision to harm the most vulnerable center? Why has the Public School not supported and prioritized?

These are data and decisions of Ordizia, but in view of the criteria used, probably the same has happened in the other public centers of the CAPV with a high degree of vulnerability.

The Department of Education goes from denying school segregation to accepting it. It's no small thing. It now lacks to do so effectively, without harming the centres that suffer most from segregation and with the support and prioritization of the Public School. In addition, special plans are essential to take significant steps in areas with large imbalances such as Ordizia.

Mr Bildarratz, in the face of the serious defects of your toy, we reunite you in a sleek paper and send you back. We ask you to correct the mistakes of the toy as soon as possible and send us a new one. Christmas is close and the new registration process does not allow us to waste any more time. If you want to ship through Olentzero, excellent, but please don't deserve more coal.

Community of the Basque Public School of Ordizia