Controversy in a Catalan institute for prohibiting teachers from giving extracurricular courses in Spanish

The Generalitat of Catalonia is in the spotlight due to the prevalent use of Catalan in the classroom, which in some educational institutions can be extended to extracurricular activities. In this sense, the Assembly for a Bilingual School (AEB) of Catalonia has denounced the imposition of Catalan in extracurricular subjects at the Xaloc Institute in Sant Pere de Ribes (Barcelona).

According to what the AEB has shared on its official Twitter profile, the educational center contemplates the possibility that a teacher or an extracurricular monitor may not continue in their job if they do not use Catalan in said activities.. “When the person in charge of an extracurricular or complementary activity arrives, the reference teacher will be in charge of reminding him/her of the importance of using Catalan throughout the activity, regardless of the language used by the students”. This is how it is included in your approved language project for the current 2022-2023 academic year, which is now ending.

🔴In Catalonia you can find extracurricular activities in English, Chinese, Arabic, but
‼️ Oh if you use Spanish ‼️

🔴The Xaloc Institute of Sant Pere de Ribes, it is clear, to the extracurricular teacher who skips the norm and uses Spanish, is left without a job pic.twitter.com/9VO7e8AxZb

– AEB Catalunya (@AEBCatalunya) June 13, 2023

The biggest problem and the association's complaint is related to the clause regarding the non-use of said language. In the event that he is reminded of the importance of using Catalan and he continues to speak in Spanish, “it is necessary to notify the linguistic commission that will assess the possibility of not continuing with this activity”. “According to the educational environment plan, activities carried out in the Catalan language will be contracted, with the exception of activities organized from foreign languages (English or German)”, sees the plan of the institute in regard to the personnel of this type of activity.

Using Catalan in the family nucleus

The AEB, an organization that has spoken out on numerous occasions in favor of bilingualism in Catalan schools, has lamented that extracurricular activities can be found in Catalonia “in English, Chinese, Arabic, but…. Oh, if you use Spanish!!”.

This case is preceded by previous controversies in other centers, such as the one that was announced just a few days ago at the Pere Viver school in Terrassa (Barcelona), which, in its linguistic project, urges teachers to use “regularly” Catalan in communications with families. It is made clear that the meetings will always be in Catalan, although at the end some time will be dedicated to those families who have not been able to understand some concept.