In 1993, the Basque Government passed the Public Education Act, a process that, according to the association of ikastolas, “broke our movement and brought with it the publication of many ikastolas”. He has been proud of the decision not to publish the association, “because we kept for the people the educational projects that emerged from the people and for the people”.

The association has explained that there are still “cyclically” voices in this wound that “sprinkle”, “voices that claim that the process of collapse that was not completed then has to be brought to an end [...] The latter have been the agents who meet at the Proud Meeting of the Basque Public School”. He explained that the representatives of the meeting asked the Basque Government to launch a new publication process. The association says that it is to be hoped that some of the agents that make up the meeting will request it, but that it surprises him in others – he has not specified by whom – “because individually they make a different approach”.

A proper education system and a new acceptance of advertising

The Federation of Ikastolas responded strongly to the meeting: “The ikastolas are not willing to give to any administration the educational projects created and developed by the citizens for the people and for the people.” The association has criticized that Topagune agents present the publication as a “magic recipe”, because “only through it has it been possible to implement the immersion system, end the segregation and solve all the deficiencies that the educational system currently has”.

The association has claimed that the ikastolas are firm throughout the Basque Country: in number -“we are 111 ikastolas, we have more than 57,000 students” -; as far as the “axis” project of the Basque curriculum is concerned; as far as the institutionalization is concerned, in network with the European Cooperative Society and with the agents of Euskal Herria; or in pedagogical education.

“We want an educational system of our own, with a new definition of the public that also includes the popular initiative, and that we want to see in the law,” the association said. To achieve this, he has proposed a “broad and deep” debate, “among all, including those who want to demolish our movement.”

Meeting point: “It’s time to rethink the Basque education system”

The Euskal Eskola Publikoa Harro meeting was presented last week in Donostia-San Sebastián. It is an agent at the level of the CAPV, composed of the following agents: Platforms of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Oion, Bilbao, Santurtzi, Oarsoaldea, Astigarraga, Donostialdea, Lasarte-Oria, Communities of the Basque Public School of Ordizia, Goieskola, EHIGE (Association of Fathers and Mothers of the Basque Country), HEIZE Ikasle Sindikatua, Ikasle Ekintza, Gazte Komunistak, Ikasle Abertzaleak, Steilas, LAB, ELA and CCOO.

“We want to show our pride in the Basque Public School and claim a single school for the entire Basque education system,” the representatives of this forum said in the presentation. They claimed that education should ensure “equal opportunities” and denounced that the current Basque educational system “increases segregation”.