Breton Language - Celtic language under political pressure

josselin

Breton Language - Celtic language under political pressure

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Hi All,

I would like to let you know the precarious situation of the Breton language in France.
It is more and more difficult to open new Breton schools even if the number of children is increasing rapidly.
I've attached a recent article on the situation of a new school that can not be opened this year, leaving 20 children with no access to Breton teaching.

I would be very grateful if you could pass on this information and ask people to sign the online petition (http://merville.maternelle.free.fr/article.php3?id_article=13)

Thanks in advance,


Josselin



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Douarnenez, Friday, 23 September 2005 by Yann Rivallain
Earlier this week, parents, pupils and teachers occupied a newly redecorated bilingual classroom in a Lorient bilingual school to protest against the refusal to appoint a teacher by the education authorities. According to parents, the requested conditions were all met last February when they wrote to the Academic Inspection notifying it that eleven children were ready to register.

However, Mme Lecomte, Deputy Academic Inspector argues that "there were only six potential children at the time. We looked at the different options and considered that the other bilingual school in the nearby area of Nouvelle ville, could easily cater for those children. Given our limited budgets and teachers posts, it is our strategy to consolidate existing sites".

All attempts to convince the authorities to review the situation, including a letter by the President of the Regional Council, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who asked them to "grant the resources needed for this school to operate properly", have hitherto failed. For him "responding to this legitimate claim does not mean that you should review the support for other schools in Lorient."


On the first day of class, twenty pupils and their parents entered a brand new classroom with no teacher but a delegate from the authorities who counted the pupils and who then explained that no teachers were available.


In a subsequent meeting, where no less than 60 school delegates from the area were taking part, parents were this time told that the class could not open for budgetary reasons, a departure from the previous explanations given. "When we realised that even high level support, from Le Drian and the town council was leading nowhere we decided to occupy the classroom until our claims were met" explains Jean-Paul Chevrel, father of a 4-year-old girl called Maiwenn. Along with the rest of the pupils she wore a badge which said "Me a gomz brezhoneg" (I speak Breton) on the first day of class. Singers, storytellers and Breton-speaking volunteers were called on Monday to entertain the children.


"A day later parents, delegates and the director of the school received a phone call from the Academic Inspection, who vociferously told them that there would be no discussions unless four requests were met immediately, explains Chevrel. First that we vacated the buildings immediately, second that children took off their "I speak Breton" badges, third that the Breton flag which we put at the classroom's door was taken down, because it was an overt sign…of what ?". Finally, and most shocking in a country that portrays itself as a champion of human rights and freedom of speech, "to make sure that the press did not enter the school anymore and stopped reporting about the matter". In a meeting where parents and school employees expressed their shock following these requests, it was decided that the class would be vacated and that children would take off their badges. "However, we decided not to remove the Breton flag and to continue to inform the press as we consider it is our right".

In a conversation with Eurolang, Mme Lecomte said that "there was political use of the affair which explained a lot of the unjustified agitation on the ground".


Pacific but determined, parents have launched a web site and a petition for support and are preparing for larger demonstration if they receive no answer. The parents are now waiting for the Academic inspection to satisfy their demand for a meeting. No sign has come from the authorities since the school has been "pacified" as they had requested.

Asked whether she could see a way to unlock the situation, Mme Lecomte said that "the Inspector will review the situation for next year. If there are enough pupils, we might have open up a class there instead of following our strategy." As for the coming days, she added that "the effort made for the Breton language in the department was already considerable with 6.5 new posts. We cannot do anymore, without a budget line we can not pay a teacher, and we can't employ one without paying him or her."

Asked if the current political pressure could change the situation she felt that "it would have a limited impact. Unless the ministry is prepared to do something on this, there is absolutely no solution to be expected from the local education authorities, we simply have no possibilities. Anyway if we made an extra effort for a Breton class many overcrowded monolingual classes would raise new complaints".


While all pupils in Brittany get settled into their new environment, Maiwenn and many others are temporarily attending French language classes until further notice. According to Jean-Paul Chevrel, "Yuna, a 4 year-old girl cried this morning when going to school asking her parents to take her to the Breton class". In the last few weeks, in Pont l'Abbé and other schools where everything had been organized for their children, parents gave up and took their children to monolingual or other bilingual schools further from home after days of struggle.


The situation might be different in Lorient given the wide political support received by the school. In turn, the Breton Party and UDB autonomists, the communist party and the centrists (UDF) all expressed their anger at the decision and called for a review. Meanwhile, neither the French socialists nor the conservatives have made any comments.


Jacques-Yves Le Touze, a parent with his bilingual children at a Lorient school, said that "this was one of many signs of a growing opposition by the authorities to the development of bilingual education in Lorient and in Brittany." As an example he added that "the optional Breton hours in the lycée Dupuy de Lome had been suppressed while Chinese language classes had been opened. Children in Lorient now have Chinese on their doorstep but have to be driven several miles to another school in Lanester, outside Lorient, to get a couple of hours of Breton". (Eurolang © 2005)


On line Petition:
http://merville.maternelle.free.fr

josselin

I didn't think I had to come back here on the same subject.

After the petition of last year, and thanks to all for the support, the parents finally got the teacher (halftime) they were requesting for the 19 children.

This year, they have ... 35 children ... and you know what, back to square one. The government did agree to open another position (halftime) earlier on the year. But on the first day of school, the promise wasn't fulfilled, no teacher.

Here is a link for the petition, I'm sorry it's not being translated in English: http://ouiaubreton.com/?article8#sp8

I would be grateful if you can pass on the information.

Thanks

Joss