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Madrid – The Government of Spain has requested that students of Spanish origin be able to apply to receive Catalan classes as Another National Language (ONL) in European Schools, regardless of the linguistic section in which they are enrolled.
The request of the Spanish Executive, to which Europa Press has had access, states that the Ministry of Education, Professional Training, and Sports of the Government of Spain “is willing to cover the expenses that this proposal may entail,” although it does not offer figures on the scope that the project would have, neither in terms of the number of students nor at a budgetary level.
The Spanish Government has made this request, which will be discussed in a meeting to be held on February 13 and 14 in Brussels and does not include Galician or Basque, to the Office of the Secretary General of European Schools.
European Schools are educational centers jointly created by the governments of the European Union (EU) member states with the aim of offering a multicultural and multilingual education, based on competence-based learning and with a European dimension.
They are intended to primarily school the children of EU institution officials and enjoy a legal status as public teaching centers in the respective countries where they are located. They offer teachings of Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary Education through a specific curriculum supervised by the Board of Inspectors of the European Schools.
Students are grouped by linguistic sections and, upon completing Secondary Education, obtain the European Baccalaureate degree, which grants them the same rights as titles and official national tests of the EU member states.
In its proposal, the Spanish Executive recalls that specific provisions have been established for the teaching of Other National Languages in the case of students whose countries of origin have more than one national language recognized in the system of European Schools, as occurs with Maltese or Gaelic.
At this point, it stresses that linguistic diversity is an essential element of national identity and the constitutional system of Spain: “The Spanish Constitution states that the richness of our different languages is part of Spain’s cultural heritage and must receive special respect and protection.”
The Executive justifies that Catalan is a language spoken by more than 10 million people “in several regions.” “It is an active and modern language, strongly present in the administration, media, education, cultural activity, and on the Internet,” it specifies.
“Having more than one official language and considering the specific characteristics of each region, Spanish children receive an education accordingly. The goal is that, upon completing basic education, all students achieve full and equivalent mastery of the Spanish language and, where appropriate, the respective co-official language, as established by the national education law,” it explains.
For the Spanish Government, the incorporation of other languages into the curriculum of European Schools “would help to enrich the system,” in line with the three basic principles underpinning the linguistic policy and practice of European Schools: The primary importance of the mother tongue (Language 1); the recognition and commitment to support the national languages of each EU member state, and the offer of a multilingual educational system that promotes multilingualism.
Also, according to the Executive, “it would facilitate the transition back to the country of origin for students who wish to continue their higher studies or careers in public administration or other sectors in Catalan in their country of origin”; although it restricts this proposal to Catalan and excludes Galician and Basque.
In its request, the Spanish Government equates Catalan with other national languages and states that several ONLs are taught in the European Schools system. “Students from countries that have more than one national language may request these courses, regardless of their linguistic section,” it points out.
If this proposal is approved, students of Spanish origin could apply for Catalan as Another National Language, regardless of the linguistic section in which they are enrolled.
Regarding the budgetary impact and implementation of this measure, it details that “few additional spaces would be needed, as usual classrooms could be used for this purpose.”
The specific curriculum designed for ONL students includes 90 minutes per week for Preschool, Primary, and the first three years of Secondary, and four periods in the years four to seven of Secondary.
“This is a common curriculum that would only need translation into Catalan, so it is ready to be applied. The implementation would be gradual from the 2025-2026 school year,” the document concludes.
The recognition of Catalan as an official language of the European Union is one of the commitments assumed by the PSOE with Junts in the investiture agreement of the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez; but this step requires a reform of the community language regulation agreed unanimously by the Twenty-Seven, which clashes with the reservations of several countries that fear the precedent.
During the semester in which Spain held the rotating presidency of the EU Council, the Government took the opportunity to include the official status of Catalan, Basque, and Galician on the agenda of several meetings of General Affairs ministers of the EU, and defended the specificity of the Spanish case with three co-official regional languages, proposed a gradual application (starting with Catalan), and offered to bear the costs.
The countries most reluctant to change the regulation demand before addressing this issue again that a legal analysis be put on the table regarding the possible inclusion of regional languages, as well as impact assessments on their cost and practical application, although for the moment the task is not assigned to any working group in the Council.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has asked the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, to allow the use of Catalan, Galician and Basque in the plenary sessions of the European Parliament, following the example of other administrative agreements that Spain already has with other community institutions such as the European Commission or the EU Committee of the Regions. In this case, a working group of the Bureau is analyzing the request by order of Metsola, although there is no established schedule to conclude the process. (February 12)