Although we will always have the need to discuss education, at the CAV we are on the eve of the adoption of the law that will regulate education in the coming years. This means that we need debate, exchange of ideas, even a measured clash, why not. Unfortunately, it seems to me that some have begun to overcome the limits, easily leaping from opinion to lie. Of course, these kinds of attacks are especially painful when you receive them from your travel partner's mouth.

First, the Church is the only institution that has nothing to correct, because it is the only one that acts under the cover of the imperfect, the omnipotent, the omnipotent. Others have to do self-criticism, accept improvements and start working with humility. In this sense, the Ikastolas have a lot of issues to improve, I have no doubt, and it is up to them to identify and correct them so that they can move forward. In fact, the Ikastolas Confederation has reaffirmed its intention to address the greatest challenges of society (segregation, immigrants, Basque…). However, I find the statements made by some sectors during these days unacceptable: Defining ikastolas as “an enormous instrument of segregation”, “an instrument of reproduction of inequality by origin and social level” or “an institution of swallowing the public system”. As if that were not enough, the Ikastola has come to be equated with infamous investment funds such as Iberdrola, Confebask or Blackstone. Not so long ago, EH Bildu equated himself to the extreme right, accusing him of supremacy for defending measures in favor of the Basque country. All in the name of left-wing thinking.

I don't know if with the church, but once again we have met the nation. We are an oppressed nation, and those of us who are clear about this we can easily see that the most violent attacks against our people and language often come from public institutions: the judge who intervenes because the Basque country “is difficult”, that the Basque country receives the same legal recognition as the foreign languages or that many public services theoretically in the Basque country can be received in Spanish, among others. The list is endless, so it is not surprising that the forms of creation, organization and action of the Basque communities have been sought outside the public administration. Of course, for those who have as their axis Spain (very legitimate), all this is a fiction, accounts of nationalists, secondary problems. In this country, it is the trade unions that denounce the measures in favour of the Basque country, we must fight for the right to tests in Basque and suffer again and again that we are exclusive for asking for knowledge of our language. I don't know if you've noticed, but we're not normal. And yet, we're something, we're somebody, and we're not going to accept that we refuse to be.

Fortunately, we share something: Public Education leave is shameful. And the situation experienced by many public centres, the situation suffered directly by students, is unacceptable. That is why I consider it essential to strengthen the Public School, provide it with the necessary resources and listen to what the local educational community has to say. But be clear: The disappearance of the ikastolas is only the end of them, as those who manage public education will continue to govern and in the same vein, as always.

Euskadi needs a healthy and strong Public School to guarantee the right to education. Euskal Herria needs Ikastolas to survive. The same way. For education, language and people.

Danel Abando Olabarri, Professor