The percent of people who have Euskara as their first language. The numbers for Zuberoa and Nafarroa Beherea are shared. Source: https://www.mintzaira.fr/fileadmin/documents/Aktualitateak/015_VI_ENQUETE_PB__Fr.pdf
The Basque Country by the Numbers
The percent of people who have Euskara as their first language. The numbers for Zuberoa and Nafarroa Beherea are shared. Source: https://www.mintzaira.fr/fileadmin/documents/Aktualitateak/015_VI_ENQUETE_PB__Fr.pdf
The numbers confirm my observations when I visit the Basque country. Few years ago, only the Basque private schools provided all the instructions in the Basque language. Now the French government gives financial aid to some Basque schools. For some schools, instruction in Basque is total–other schools it is kept to a certain level. It is difficult to find a school that will teach only in French. My niece lives close to Ixtassou but she sends her children to Cambo les Bains to a French school–but other languages are taught, including Basque.
I do not dispute learning another language, but I do question what is going to happen to the 17–18 years old, who have only known a language who is not widely spoken outside of the Basque country, after they graduate from High School? Is there is system in place to follow up their progress after graduation. Basque is not yet the universal language of the world. What will happen if they want to study at the University level, either in Spain or France or any where in the world. Will they be prepared for academia and/or the rest of the world?
In France, teaching or lack of teaching regional languages is the buzz du jour.
A journalist from l”Express magazine, Michel Feletin Palas writes a newsletter every week in favor of regional language–very interesting.
thank you for posting the article.
Monique