Seaska states on its website that the educational model proposed by a group of parents to find “balanced bilingualism”, with an associative character and with five students, required “unique and pioneering pedagogical methods”. Since 1994, since it is a private contract with French National Education, they must comply with State learning programmes, as well as develop their own objectives. “All that is done still wants to Euskaldunize the students, not only from the language, but also from their identity,” says Jean Mixel Etxegarai, Director of Education at SEASKA.

Initially, Seaska had to set his frame with the freedom that it entails. “Cooking or sewing for the kids,” Etxegarai cites as an experimental curiosity in the memory of those times. In fact, the first decade was mostly experimental. “Perhaps moving away from National Education programs, but at the same time Seaska had his own tests, so it was something between them.”

The Basque in the French painting

The negotiations for the subsidy of the ikastolas began in 1981, with the socialist government of the time, but in the pedagogical sphere it was 1994, when SEASKA signed a private contract with the National Education. Since then, teachers have been employed by National Education and have moved from community workers to membership. In Etxegarai’s words, this contract supposes “a greater look from National Education and Inspection”. However, it has no serious consequences on the objectives of ikastolas: “Although, under contract, the painting is co-on-site, the purposes and way of doing Seaska continue.”

The main objective is that students become a large number of Basque speakers. Euskaldunization is not only done through language, but also with the objective of impregnating its identity in the Basque culture. Although the French programs have to be complied with, the teachers ensure the presence of the Basque culture in the subjects. An example of this fusion is Geographic History: the books used in the ikastolas are those translated by the Ikas center, based on French publications. For example, with regard to the French revolution, reading this historic event has nothing to do with whether it is done from the French or Basque point of view. “It is clear that our history teachers will not follow the book as such and that the demands of the Basques will have room.” But there are also headaches. Bringing the Basque curriculum to the subject is the responsibility of the teachers, and in addition to complying with the French program, for example, the kingdom of Navarra is something to be added. The Director of Education has acknowledged that they are “elections” and that they may “always be on the border”.

According to Etxegarai, the flexibility in the subjects does not create problems with the inspectors of National Education: “It’s true that because of the contract we have, we couldn’t completely escape the French programs, but often the inspectors have appeared interested to see what news they can detect on the right and left.” Pedagogical experimentation is supported and stimulated by the Law of Common Bases, which entered into force in the State in 2005. Following the example of history, the program states that “a history teacher has to do the lesson as much as possible with testimonies and examples.”

Curriculum Vasco

Following the general trend, the curriculum promotes a competency-based education: “Knowing how to do, knowing how to be and knowing how to mobilize to solve concrete and complex situations that we find throughout life,” Etxegarai explained. The second axis of the curriculum is the development of Basque culture, Basque history, Basque identity.

She adds that the consequences of administrative constraints are appreciated and that inclusive pedagogy is worked differently in the South and the North, although complementary: “In Hego Euskal Herria they pass the integrative pedagogy through the material they create”, while in Seaska they focus more on teacher training: “In this teacher training we are working on the integration of students in the resolution of complex and concrete situations, in the development of competencies”.

Public service in private

Although this pedagogical flexibility is open to all educational centers in the State, SEASKA’s special status makes it possible that, being in the French System, entire Basque speakers can be created, “because we are not managed directly and in full by the public services. To choose our professors, to train ourselves, to organize pedagogical animations, the internal movement... would be the administration, if we were in the public services, we would have no choice”. The private character is what gives the association the power to manage it, although Etxegarai recognizes “a point of schizophrenia”: “SEASKA is today the only public immersion service, the status is private at the same time, but that gives us the property of our house”.

Although the selection and training of teachers by the private character of SEASKA depends on the association, they are employed by the National Education for their contract with it. A teacher, in his early years of life, follows the in-house training of SEASKA to present himself to the French teachers’ competitions. In this phase, when they prepare to become full teachers, SEASKA takes care to “know our project and receive our educational vision.”

The association has a training center aimed at teachers, from which the Pedagogy Days are also channeled. In these days, the reflections are presented in a group to mark some lines. This year we are working on the theme of orality, on how to enhance the oral expression of students. The disturbing evolution of the use of Euskera in society, especially in urban areas, also affects ikastolas, as Etxegarai noted: “Most of the students entering the ikastolas do not dominate the Basque Country and this reality leads us to reflect and decide how we are going to make that acquisition of transmission to strengthen ourselves”. For the first year, for example, they have preferred to mix students of different ages in the same class, so that the younger ones can listen in Basque to the older ones, and teach the younger ones to be an incentive for the older ones.

Success data

SELIGMAN (PPE). — (FR) Mr President, I should like to begin by congratulating Mr Seligman on his report. But as more and more boys and girls get closer to their classrooms, more and more schools. There are three schools and, although it is a single school, in 2015 it is intended to open the professional lycée in Biarritz. In total, there were 3,100 students in 2013, and there is more waiting for the next course.

Another fact that has been mentioned in recent years is that 100% of the students of the ikastola have obtained the Bajo. However, Etxegarai aims to qualify the interpretation of these study results, which is essential for university access: “We have never set ourselves a target for percentage tissue to reach the Low. It’s an important and enjoyable element, but you have to see how many enter school and how many in the Lower General (Liceo), we can take other valuation criteria.”