A Canary teacher who learned Catalan to work in the Balearic Islands: "I have C1 and I say it very proudly"

Palma“My name is Lara, I am a teacher in the Balearic Islands and I have a C1 in Catalan. After three years living here, of a lot of effort, of hours of study, of a lot of patience, of many days when I said: ‘I don’t understand anything! What are these weak pronouns?’. But finally I have the C1 in Catalan and I can say it very proudly. Has it been difficult for me? Yes. If one day I go to live abroad, will I have wasted my time? No. Demanding that teachers know the language of the place where they teach is not an obstacle: it is a sign of respect for the culture, for the families and for the children”, explains Lara, a teacher in the Balearic Islands who has obtained the C1 certificate after three years of effort and linguistic immersion.

"I don't regret any of those hours. Language is not a bureaucratic obstacle, it is the way in which a place recognizes itself. And learning it is not an imposition", she states.

The teacher made a video on her social networks @soylaradelatorre explaining her story in response to the agreement between the PP and Vox to modify the Catalan requirement for certain teaching positions considered hard to fill. According to the pact, this requirement will be flexible for vacancies where there are more difficulties in finding teachers, especially in certain specialties and centers in the Balearic Islands, and initial access to public service will be allowed without linguistic accreditation, with the possibility of obtaining it once incorporated. Until teachers prove their command of the language, they will not have a permanent position.

The measure has been defended by the promoting parties as a response to the shortage of teachers in certain areas and specialties of the Balearic educational system. According to this position, the priority is to ensure that all classrooms have teachers, especially in a context of difficulties in filling positions in specific areas and in some island territories.

Education in Catalan, in danger

However, the decision has generated concern among various educational, trade union, and social sectors, who believe that relaxing the linguistic requirement could have consequences for the normalization of Catalan within schools. These groups argue that knowledge of the territory's own language is a key tool for educational cohesion and for guaranteeing equal opportunities for students in a bilingual environment.

In this context, testimonies like Lara's take on relevance. Her experience highlights the linguistic adaptation process that many teachers experience who come from outside and decide to join the Balearic educational system. A path that, as she explains, requires effort, perseverance, and involvement, but which also brings integration and connection with the school environment. The debate over the Catalan requirement returns to the center of Balearic educational policy, placing two visions that coexist with tension on the table: the need to guarantee covered teaching positions and the defense of Catalan as a tool for cohesion and identity within the school.