"The Government shall take all measures to ensure that pupils, on an equal footing, have sufficient control over the effective use of the two official languages at the end of the compulsory education period". The current educational law? No. Law 10/1982 of the Basque Country, 41 years ago.

Moreover, the Government also has "measures aimed at making pupils familiar with the two official languages and adapting curricula". Also of Law 10/1982.

In the current Education Act, the Government has placed a level on this "real use" capacity: B2. That's innovation.

Despite the work of beliefs, the Education Bill includes:

• "This law aims to allow all students, regardless of their family origin, at the end of their studies to learn the two official languages at the same level." After 41 years! Don't you know that school can't be her alone? Have you not analyzed the results of the diagnostic evaluations? It is the same as the old law: it has not been complied with, it will not be enforced.
• Thereafter, there will be a single educational model in which "the two official languages and at least one foreign language will be considered as learning languages". Some of the contents currently taught in Basque in model D will be taught in Spanish and English. Therefore, less hours in Basque for most students of our system (course 2022-23, 1). 97.47% of public FP students are in model D and 62.80% of private students). For all of them, less Basque time. Public model B represented 2.68% of the students and the private 34.47%. For them, no more hours of Basque than now. The 3L model of the new law will not bring them any more Basque 1. 96.39% of FP students.

• Brave, the level students will achieve is determined: B2 at the end of ESO. With fewer hours of Basque, they will learn much more Basque, because now they are only allowed level B1. Imagine the miracle: this year 4. The student who completes the ESO will get level B1; the student who completes next year level B2. That's why.

Without independent control

In the draft bill we denounced the lack of external control. In the final text, "the teaching teams that assume the responsibility of students will evaluate the achievement of these minimum objectives". This remains the same in the project: "The education department will implement an effective monitoring system to improve the results of the evaluation and achieve the objectives set". There's something, it's not enough. On the one hand, because it is not external control and, on the other, because we should believe three things. The first is that what has not been done so far (checking that the students of Model B reached the level B1) will continue to do so. Secondly, the educational laws will comply with the measures in favor of the Basque country. Case! The government does not comply with Articles 27.1, 27.2, 27.3 of the Vocational Training Act of 2018, all measures in favor of teaching in Basque. Thirdly, we should believe that the centres that do not achieve the objective will require less English and more Basque. It also forces the business of the centers and the Vocento group.

In any case, it is very easy to avoid any doubt/mistrust. For general scheme education, it is sufficient that it be included in this same Law for special scheme teachings: Article 16, paragraph 3: "(…) The Department of Education shall regulate the characteristics of the assessment and approval tests for obtaining language knowledge certificates". Simple, of course, accurate.

On the other hand, on the subject of extracurricular activities that we inevitably need in Basque, the law focuses on the centers of Foko (lausoa): "In centers financed by public funds, the Basque country should, in general, be the expression of the activities that take place in the center itself". Expression in activities? The language of activities, right? And the focus should not be on publicly funded educational centers, but on all publicly funded sports, cultural and leisure activities.

Not improving the Basque level of teachers

What about teachers? There are changes. Of course they have removed the reference to level C1+ in Basque! Even collect in the law a level that is not certified!

But what they've done is as sad as it's clarifying, as it shows that the bill has been rushed and closed. Article 70 point 2: "The training of teachers will be promoted to achieve the C1 level of Euskera and the C1 level of English for English teachers".

Look! Is it not going to require C1 teachers in Euskera from now on? "Will teacher training be promoted to achieve the C1 level of Euskera (…)"? It then requires:

Teachers will be asked for the same level in our own and English language. In the Basque school focused on Euskera, will the Basque be aware so much?

Moreover, does it really want to establish in the law that a C1 level of Euskera will not be required? Does it intend to establish legally that training is not encouraged to reach a higher level than the previous one?

Remember that all opposition to being a professor of the CAV can be done in Spanish, except in modern languages. That is, mathematics to teach in Basque (and physics, history, natural sciences, 1. Education…) the complete opposition can be made in Spanish, oral test and written test.

By the way, from now on, when the subjects begin to teach also in Spanish, the professor will speak to the students in Spanish and receive the answers in that language. Goodbye to the linguistic referentiality of teachers.

The law of coexistence is a miracle: students who until now finished ESO with B1 and finished high school B2. From now on, are you going to get B2 in ESO… and high school? It is not even mentioned in the law. If, following the current logic, B2 is admitted to ESO students, baccalaureate… C1. The same "promotionable" level for teachers. Or with high-school kids, will miraculous law not work? It is difficult to explain that students learn much more Basque in ESO, but that the students themselves do not learn Basque in high school.

To the Basque parliamentarians, therefore, the proposal:

• Analyze the registration data and its annual evolution.
• It analyses diagnostic evaluations and their evolution.
• Ask the members of Valencia in favor of Catalan about the consequences of their 3L model: main Catalan, English and Spanish vehicular language.
• Read the Education Act.
• Reflect on the consequences of this law for the Basque.
• Vote in conscience.

Mikel Basabe Kortabarria, Professor