The extent of the deficiency in the provision of bilingual (Breton/French) educational facilities was starkly illustrated earlier this month when concerned parents of two groups of children at schools situated in two different departments, more than 100 km apart, spoke out.

At 'Georges Brassens state school' in Languidic, fourteen children, who have followed a bilingual Breton/French education for many years, are now obliged to give up learning Breton, because no Breton teacher was assigned to their school.

Already pressure on resources made it necessary this year to divide Breton lessons between three levels with three different teachers.

The Academic Inspectors refusal to create a new post obliged the teaching staff to put children, enrolled in Infant and Junior schools in a monolingual class; i.e. without Breton. By accepting this situation the parents believe they will endanger Breton education in Languidic for future years.

In 'Bulat Pestivien state school', fifteen children are enrolled in bilingual Breton/French education. Although the creation of bilingual Breton/French classes accords with the National Education directive 2001-167, which rules on the creation of bilingual classes, the initiative of opening a new class was rejected by the Cotes d'Armor AcademicInspection.

No new bilingual site/class in the department has been opened for five years, whereas in the same period of time fourteen new classes were created in Finistere and seven in Morbihan. Projects in this department are systematically rejected by the Academic Inspector,M. Le Bohec.

The parents, who set up an unauthorised class with the help of a bilingual teacher, were threatened and the class was proscribed by M. Le Bohec himself.

The parents who have now spoken out (see below for web contact details) say they are not 'activists'. However, understandably they worry for their children's well-being and education. They believe, indeed they know, that their children have benefited from the advantages of a bilingual education from early childhood.

They want an education for their children which will enable them to speak Breton, - the languageof their parents and grandparents for some, or simply the language spoken in their daily environment for others.

The joint parents group is calling on the Minister of National Education, M. Gilles de Robien, to intervene and instruct the Academic Chief Education Officer, M. Jean-Baptiste, to do whatever is necessary to assign bilingual teachers to both the schools as soon as possible.

Celtic League members can support the parents stance directly by signing their on-line petition (Letter to the Minister of National Education, M. Gilles de Robien, and to Brittany councillors) on the website ouiaubreton.com

(voir le site)

You can also find detail of this campaign by accessing articles on:

(voir le site)

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

23/10/06

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