Can the universality of education be guaranteed only with the exclusive ownership of the public administration? Is there any segregation at ikastolas? Are ikastolas elitist? Do the ikastolas make sense today when they are taught in Basque at the public school?

In general, we could say that, in addition to educational cooperatives (the ikastolas), the debate on the contribution of cooperativism to Basque society is still alive. About three decades ago, when the Basque Public School Act was passed in 1993, there was intense debate. At present, the negotiations on the Education Pact have brought the debate back into question.

I believe that in order to address this debate in depth, we should know the keys that will help us to better understand and value the model of the ikastolas and I wanted to do my bit by writing a document of about 30 pages in that direction. Here are just the main headlines.

How did the ikastolas emerge and what enabled their creation? What were the first motivations of the ikastolas? What about now? Today the ikastolas have communist roots? Do they have the potential to transform society? Why were they interesting and why are they interesting? Taking the Basque as the axis of the educational project and the Basque culture, are the ikastolas still Basque national institutions? Is the cooperative paradigm also valid in education? Are self-management and cooperativism values typical of the school? Can school leadership be put into the hands of the educational community? What should be the degree of autonomy of schools with regard to administration?

I should like to underline an idea in that direction. That any experience that is organised is, without a doubt, good news. In fact, from this key of self-organization, the protagonists participate fully in the organization, making the most relevant decisions of the project. And self-management and cooperativism, also in the education sector, are by definition positive.

I believe that at this moment and in this context, before students, faculty, families, collaborators and society, the sense of the ikastola model must be strengthened. The participation of the workers of the ikastolas in the ownership of the educational cooperative should be encouraged as a step further in the deepening of the model. In addition, it is necessary to guarantee, yes or no, the right to universal education in ikastolas and to promote a pedagogical transformation beyond innovation. Foster family participation, combining organizational transformation, comprehensive management and reconciliation. Revitalize Basque identity by connecting territory, culture and language with the educational project in an indissoluble way. We must also make progress in consolidating the link with the community through the implementation of social transformation projects in cooperation with other institutions. And finally, I would say that we must guarantee the educational vocation and motivation of the teaching staff and demand the social recognition of this profession.

Lately, there is a political and social momentum that proposes a unitary educational model. In this confluence, diversity, even with regard to educational models, is good in itself. Diversity has intrinsic value. Our organizational botanical garden in the educational field cannot lead us to monoculture, there may be a risk of loss of identity and dilution in those beautiful and ambitious intentions.

Let us look with pride and in the face of the cooperative experience of the ikastolas, without fear of detecting weaknesses and challenges, lights and shadows, with confidence, commitment and strength to face them. We have an unbeatable opportunity to make the two transformations: pedagogical and institutional transformation. Drinking the water that is always new from the old source of always.

* Andoni Mujika, former director of the Ikastolas Kurutziaga and Ibaizabal of Durango

and is former President of Arizmendi Ikastola