Short plans for the promotion of Euskera in vocational training
- The Basque Government has just approved a plan to promote the use of Euskera in the socio-economic sphere. In the analysis published by Mikel Basabe on the broadcaster Hala Bedi Irratia, the plan proposes small vocational training measures so that more students can study their vocational training in Basque. But it gives two reasons to argue that the plan will not yield results and denounces that the Department of Education is going back on the issue of vocational training in Basque.
The first argument given by Basabe to question the effectiveness of this Euskera plan in vocational training is that there is no possibility of studying vocational training in Euskera throughout the CAV (the offer is zoned). And secondly, he denounced that the Department of Education is taking a step backwards in the vocational training plans on the subject of the Basque Country: he says that in the previous plans the Basque Country appears among the objectives and in the latter it does not appear. In addition, he warned that model D has regressed in vocational training between 2012 and 2018.
The message that Basabe has completed is as follows: "In order for the Baccalaureate to be as natural as doing so in Euskera, the vice-ministry of linguistic policy will have to hold the Department of Education accountable for studying in Euskera. Otherwise, it will not be able to make progress in vocational training too".
Basabe has published in ARGIA an opinion article in which he explains how the Basque Government has zoned the possibility of studying vocational training in Basque.
Below you can read the full analysis by Basabe in Hala Bedi:
Basque cannot be trained as a professional
"The Basque Government, in particular the Vice-Ministry of Language Policy, has just approved a plan to promote Euskera in the socio-economic sphere. OK: It's necessary. It is more necessary, however, for the plan to be good and for the results to be significant. In other words, the results should be accessible to everyone.
Unfortunately, this is not going to happen in vocational training: the Vice-Ministry of Language Policy has stated, yes, what should be done to promote Basque in vocational training. In itself, it does not pose the revolution, but quite the opposite: to take small steps to get more students of vocational training to study in Basque. But it won't get anything, for two reasons.
The first is that there is no right to study vocational training in Basque. The baccalaureate, yes, there is the possibility to do so in Basque: No student of the CAPV will be obliged to take the Baccalaureate in one language or another: he will choose freely. But a year and a half ago, in July 2018, the Vocational Training Act was passed, whose article 27, in its third point, zoned the right to study in Basque. Don't learn Spanish, of course, because that's universal. In addition, point 4 of Article 27 gives the Department of Education the following function: “take the necessary measures to create the necessary school material for the teaching in Basque of all the degrees offered, as well as for the faculty to have, progressively, the capacity of Euskera adequate and sufficient to meet the demand for teaching in Basque”.
Say yes, no. Don't do anything.
In February 2019, after the adoption of the Basque Law on Vocational Training, the Department of Education approved the Fifth Basque Vocational Training Plan. In 113 pages the Basque country cites twice, without any content. This Plan has nine strategic areas. The Basque people are not at stake. There are 43 goals. Euskera is not an objective. There are 170 lines of action. The Basque is not given any. Contrary to what is established by the law approved only a year and a half ago, the Department of Education has not proposed any measures to allow all cycles of vocational training to be completed in Euskera. Contrary to the provisions of that law, the Department of Education has not proposed any measures to ensure that teachers are progressively acquiring adequate and adequate language training.
Even sadder: The Department of Education is shrinking. Unlike the fifth plan, if in the fourth it was about Euskera:
“To increase the supply in Basque in vocational training, enhancing model D”. “Development of the trilingual model, enhancing the offer of professional training in Basque”. “Incorporate criteria to promote the use of Euskera and gender equality”. “Establish a multilingual model, constantly supporting the Basque Country.”
They were all in the fourth vocational training plan. They were not complied with as model D has regressed from 2012 to 2018. They don't meet, they forget. What comes from the fourth plan without doing, does not receive it in the fifth plan either.
In order for the Baccalaureate to be as natural as the Basque Country, the Vice-Ministry of Linguistic Policy shall request the accounts of the Department of Education. Otherwise, it will not be able to make progress in vocational training too".
