Teachers abandoning Catalan: "Come here, Izan... 'I told you to come here!'"

PalmThat Catalan is declining socially and in the classroom is evident. the ARA Baleares has confirmed on numerous occasionsIn this context, where for many students school is the only place where they have contact with their native language, the work done is fundamental to ensuring their knowledge. However, not all professionals understand this, and some opt to conduct sessions in Spanish to avoid problems, or suddenly switch languages. Although these are not the majority attitudes, they are certainly on the rise., According to the testimony of teachers who have contacted this media outlet in recent months.

There are ways of doing things that harm children's learning and appreciation of the language. "It's common, especially in preschool, for a teacher to say to a child, 'Come on, Izan, we have to go inside.' The little one doesn't listen, because he doesn't want to, because he's old enough to be defiant. And then, the teacher says to him,I told you to come."And the child goes," explains an authoritative voice in the education sector who prefers to remain anonymous. According to the professional, the child had understood the message "at all times" because in preschool all instructions are accompanied by a symbolic gesture, "if he's going to ignore it," "when they turn him around." If they shout in Catalan, they'll tell him in Spanish. And it's a lesson that sticks," he explains. Several principals consulted lament the difficulties they have in ensuring that all teachers comply with the schools' language projects. What happens in the classroom, behind closed doors, stays there, and they have no access.

"At my school, we have to do everything in Catalan, but I know there are Spanish-speaking teachers who ignore this and teach in whatever language they want," explains the headmistress of a school in Palma. "They know I know, but they don't care, because I have no way to penalize them beyond a verbal warning. And besides, I can't prove what I know," she adds. It's important to remember that public school principals don't have punitive powers; that authority is reserved for inspectors and the Regional Ministry of Education. In private schools, however, if a teacher violates the school's philosophy and educational project, they risk being dismissed.

Poor language practices aren't limited to preschool and primary school; it's in secondary school where the marginalization of Catalan is even more evident. "There are teachers who teach in Spanish to avoid problems with students and their families," says the headmaster of a high school in Pla de Mallorca. Although the minimum standards decree is still in effect, it isn't always followed. While some schools, exercising their legal right, officially conduct all classes in Catalan, this is not the case in practice. In some secondary schools and private schools, the decree isn't even followed: more hours are taught in Spanish than in Catalan.

Catalan, yes, on paper

The Teachers' Assembly confirms that the poor linguistic practices of some teachers have been occurring for years and are on the rise. "This has been happening for some time. But the current government's position not only fails to help, but actually fuels these attitudes," explains Marina Vergés, spokesperson for the Assembly. "We have been demanding for a long time that the Education Inspectorate not neglect its duties and take responsibility for monitoring compliance with language projects," the same sources add. "Each school is different, and you can't generalize. There are diverse situations: management teams that do try to implement projects, but don't find cooperation from the teaching staff; management teams that don't want problems and don't monitor what the teachers are doing; schools that facilitate non-compliance with the project; teachers who switch languages ​​due to pressure; teachers who don't have any kind of cone; teachers who don't have any kind of cone; teachers who don't have any kind of cone; teachers with strong linguistic loyalty who don't abandon Catalan..." she lists. "Schools need management teams committed to implementing language projects and, above all, for the Education Inspectorate to do its job, support principals who need it, and apply the appropriate sanctions in case of non-compliance," he demands.

The University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) is the highest linguistic authority in the Balearic Islands, but Catalan is also rapidly losing ground. Course syllabi are practically law within the university. They constitute a binding contract between professor and student, establishing the content, assessment criteria and activities, and even the language of instruction for each subject. Sometimes, even if the syllabus specifies Catalan, it's not used. A student studying Primary Education claims that some professors (a few) change the language of instruction "to accommodate students from mainland Spain," he explains. "It's one or two students, but they disregard 40 students who understand and speak Catalan," he laments. All of this is happening in the Faculty of Education, where Catalan is the dominant language across all disciplines. In other university departments, the regional language has even less ground because professors teach in whatever language they choose, exercising academic freedom and, in many cases, contravening the course syllabi.