Galician Schools to Offer 3 Languages
December 31st, 2009
Galician parents have chosen the languages to be taught to their children in primary and secondary education. The ultimate goal is “multilingualism” and three languages will be taught together – English, Castilian and Galician.
Each language will provide one third of school hours for students, according to a draft decree of the Galician president, Alberto Núñez Feijoo. The implementation is scheduled for next year in all courses, but is yet to be consulted with the three parliamentary parties, the Real Academia Galega and Consello Galician Culture (the two most important cultural institutions in the community). But in any case, it represents a break from the previous education model launched in 2007 by the a joint decision from socialists and nationalists, declaring a 50% minimum of teaching in Galician.
According to the draft, primary school teaching, which accounts 25 hours per week will be in Galician and Castilian. Whereas in secondary schools, parents will decide on the language taught for social sciences and mathematics, numbering up to seven hours a week while the remaining subjects will be chosen by the individual school board and ensuring an even share between the three languages. However, there is thought to be insufficient teachers for one third of the subjects to be taught in English, as the regional government seeks long-term. It will therefore constitute a lower percentage according to each school, while keeping Castilian and Galician balanced.
Feijoo highlighted with that the decree will offer “freedom through knowledge,” and that “Children will use all three languages.”
The decision to revoke the plans of the previous government has drawn criticism from the opposition and various social groups. Hundreds of people have demonstrated against the, in their view, “treachery” with which the regional government is presenting the changes and doing so during a holiday period.
