1. Contribution on the current situation of
Galician in the Educational System
Charter for Regional or
Minority Languages
Coordinadora Galega de Equipos de Normalización e Dinamización Lingüística

2. Contribution of Galicia’s Association for the Coordination of Language
Standardization and Improvement Teams (LSIT) on the current situation
of Galician in the Educational System for the report on Galicia’s level of
compliance of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
(ECRML)
0-Introduction
Galicia’s Association for the Coordination of Language Standardization and
Improvement Teams (GACLSIT) is a group formed by LSIT (now called GLIT_Galician
Language Improvement Teams_) working in public, private and subsidized schools in
Galicia. GACLSIT was created in April 2009 in order to coordinate and encourage the
activities of the teams as well as giving them a public voice. GACLSIT is formed by
teachers with a wide range of ideologies united by a common language goal: the social
standardization of Galician. GACLSIT is a non-profit organization made up exclusively
of non -paid volunteers.
The Language Standardization Teams (LST) were created by the Education Authorities
in 1991 in order to promote the use of Galician in Galicia’s schools. In 2007 they came
to be called Language Standardization and Improvement Teams (GACLSIT). Finally, they
have been referred to as _Galician Language Improvement Teams (GLIT)1 since 2010.
1
The teams are formed by a coordinating teacher, in addition to, at least, three other teachers, and
three students (except for primary education), plus a non-teaching member of staff.
Coordinadora Galega de Equipos de Normalización e Dinamización Lingüística

3. 1. The situation of Galician in the Educational System after the latest change in the
Law (79/2010 Decree of May 10 on Multilingualism in Galicia’s schools)
This decree broke the political consensus concerning the standardization of Galician in
society and, particularly, within the educational system, which had materialized in
2004 when all political parties approved in the Galician Parliament the General Plan for
the Social Standardization of the Galician Language (GPSGL)2. Arising from this General
Plan, Decree 124/20073 was approved. This decree was in force when the Third Report
on the level of compliance of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
(ECRML) was written, but was changed for a much more regressive one which
endangers not only the survival of the language, but also the acquisition of a basic
competence in Galician by the younger generations.
The Decree currently in force proved extremely controversial and was even appealed
by several organizations. According to GACLSIT a step in the wrong direction was taken
from the planning stage in the attempts to standardize Galician in the schools. The
decree is pernicious because:
a) The sociolinguistic reality of Galicia has been disregarded, as the two
coexisting languages are not in the same situation.
b) The afore-mentioned Decree 79/2010 does not aim to further advance the
improvement of Galician, but to repeal the previous decree (124/2007) for
ideological motives, not pedagogical ones. Decree 124/2007 had proved
effective in bringing about positive change as shown in the Third Report on
2
GPSGL concludes that Decree 247/95_aiming at the standardization of Galician in the school system_
had fallen short of reaching the goals it had been approved for- i.e. full linguistic competence in Galician
by the end of the compulsory education, and a growing number of young users of the language.
3
Decree 124/2007 ensured education in Galician for children between 0 and 3 as well as for primary
school children whose mother tongue was Galician, and established a minimum of a third of total class
time in Galician in predominantly Spanish speaking areas with the intention of spreading gradually the
use of Galician. As to primary and secondary education, both compulsory and post –compulsory, it
aimed at 50% class time in Galician, at least. It meant a gain compared to the previous decree
(247/1995), which had been considered a first step in the use of Galician in the schools. It put into
practice legislation (3/1983) on language standardization (LS), which established Galician as the regular
language in the educational administration as well as requiring a minimum of two subjects being taught
in Galician.
Coordinadora Galega de Equipos de Normalización e Dinamización Lingüística

4. ECRML_ but the results of its implementation were not evaluated and no
evidence about its inadequacy was ever put forward. The new decree
pretends to solve a problem which is supposed to have been caused by the
previous decree. However, this hypothetical problem has gone unnoticed
by all member of GACLSIT, despite the fact that we are in daily contact with
the schools. When writing the new document, they insist on justifying the
need for a new decree using the following arguments:
a) A reference is made to Decree 124/2007 as to not being in line with
the law, according to Galicia’s Government Advisory Body, based on
partial and biased readings of the report of the afore-mentioned
body. In fact several recommendations by the Advisory Body had
been incorporated into the final decree.
b) It criticizes the previous model because it failed to establish allot
minimum teaching hours in Spanish, the dominant language,
accusing it of breaking the language balance. It says and I quote:
Decree 124/2007, June 28, was oriented in order to achieve the
required command of Galician in compulsory education, failing to
establish a minimum number of subjects in Spanish,. This may break
the language balance which has been in place in Galicia since the
beginning of the regional government, and accepted and supported
by all Galicians (DOGA_Offical Gazette number 97, Tuesday, May 25
2010, page 9242)
c) Although their explanatory statement seems to support the Law for
the Standardization of Galician, the text undermines it since it
imposes restrictions on the use of Galician (the minority language)
as both a social language and the language of the educational
administration, and sets a minimum amount of Spanish (the
hegemonic language)
d) It is a decree unlike all others because it has not been conceived to
promote Galician in the schools. Instead it has been labeled as The
Decree of Multilingualism opening the gate for a third of the subjects
Coordinadora Galega de Equipos de Normalización e Dinamización Lingüística

5. being taught in a foreign language, namely English,. The remaining
hours are to be equitably shared by Spanish and Galician. In practice,
it means a reduction in the number of hours of the minority
language as most of the schools adhering to the Bilingual
Programme use English to teach subjects that were supposed to be
taught in Galician, leaving Galician for the subjects considered by the
parents as “less important” or those which don’t require a textbook,
i.e. Music or PH
e) The anti-standardization stance is such, that the word
“Standardization” in the Language Standardization (and
Improvement) Teams is dropped. We are now simply “Galician
Language Improvement Teams”
Several facts demonstrate that this new decree is causing a regression of the
use of Galician in the schools. The repercussions are already tangible:
1. Education for children between 3 and 6 : The decree prevents the linguistic
goals as set out in the Curriculum from being achieved, as it fails to regulate or
even allow schools to design pedagogic strategies aimed at the mastering of
both official languages. The dominant language is imposed, making impossible
for the minority language to achieve its goals. Children become proficient in the
language they are familiar with, becoming extremely difficult to learn Galician
in Spanish speaking environments. This situation stems from Decree 124/2007
where the language used by the teacher was determined by the school
considering two factors: the dominant language in the area_based on data
provided by Galicia’s Sociolinguistic Map, Galicia’s Institute for Statistics
etc_and feedback from the students’ parents. Now only the parents’ feedback
is considered when deciding about the language4. They label it as freedom of
4
The first year this law was implemented, a survey of questionable validity was used. Now a new
“Coexistance Law” has been passed in order to give legal cover to any survey being employed to
determine which language must be used in the schools.
Coordinadora Galega de Equipos de Normalización e Dinamización Lingüística

6. choice5, which is both misleading and disingenuous. Several considerations are
overlooked such as the possibility of the parents’ feedback being at odds with
the teachers’ own findings based on their classroom experience, that the family
speak a third language, that father and mother use different languages, or the
fact that linguistic prejudices may affect the parents’ responses. Thus choosing
the language before the enrolment process of 3 year-old children through a
survey leaves out many families whose mother tongue is Galician. The new law
indicates that “the students who lack a sufficient command of the dominant
language will receive individual attention”. This is a segregating policy which
beats the fundamental purpose of children’s education.
2. Primary School: The number of hours taught in Galician is cut. The students
are given the freedom of breaking the pedagogic planning of the subjects as far
as language usage is concerned and opens up the possibility of Galician being
limited to the Galician Language lessons, as English substitutes Galician in
subjects supposed to be taught in Galician according to the decree.
3. Secondary School: The number of hours in Galician is cut. It becomes
compulsory to teach two subjects in Galego (Science/Biology and Geology;
History and Geography) and three in Spanish (Mathematics, Technology,
Physics and Chemistry). This means Galician is deliberately excluded from the
scientific and technological fields as well as increasing the number of hours for
subjects that most parents consider fundamental for their children’s education.
4. The fact that students may use the language of their choice in the classroom
marks a retreat not only when compared to Decree 124/2007, but even to
Decree 247/1995, which stated that “an effort should be made” to encourage
students to use Galician in those classes taught in Galician. The Law for the
Standarization of Galician is again undermined since according to this piece of
5
Many families have expressed their dissatisfaction with these regressive policies, especially those
concerning the education of children between 3 and 6. Using the slogan “freedom of choice for fathers
and mothers”, they shortchange the Galician speaking families. Research shows _the one carried out by
the teachers’ Union STEG is one of them that up to 40% of parents who chose Galician for their children
were ignored. Most of them claim that this policy is making their children lose contact with the more
disadvantaged and discredited language.
Coordinadora Galega de Equipos de Normalización e Dinamización Lingüística

7. legislation a competence in both languages must be guaranteed by the end of
the compulsory education.
5. Exemption from Galician: those students coming from other regions of
Spain who attend the 5th year of Primary Education or above will be exempted
from the language for two academic years. However, no exemption is offered
to students with no previous knowlege of Spanish6 (6).
6. Shortage of teaching materials in Galician. The new decree, although it is
supposed to implement the Law for the standardization of the Language,
promotes teaching materials in Spanish and English. This has led to several
publishing groups stopping the publication of materials in Galician as they no
longer had the support of the Administration. Just one year after the
implementation, no new classroom materials_including textbooks and support
tools and resources_ are to be found for subjects which the decree assigns to
Spanish for the after 6 year-old students7 . As a result it has become even
more of a challenge to get hold reading and writing materials for 3 to 6 year-old
students.
This restrictive situation for Galician in the schools, which contrasts with the spirit of
the law, is causing a lack of linguistic competence among the students, which means
the goals as set out by the Law for the Standardization of the Language (article 10)
have not been met. As a result students do not achieve the required levels of
competence of both languages at every academic level. A reduction of the number of
speakers has accelerated, especially in towns and cities, a fact borne out by every
piece of research on the subject (Royal Acacademy of Galicia, Galician Institute for
Statistics, Council for Galician Culture etc)
As the attached press pack shows, the passing of the decree caused social outcry and
led to an attempt by the administration to justify the measure. They sent a public
6
It is also contradictory that Portuguese speaking students are exempted (sharing Portuguese and
Galician the same linguistic root), but they are obliged to take the other official language.
7
One must remember that these subjects could be taught in Galician if the parents decided to swap the
compulsory subjects in Galician for those in Spanish
Coordinadora Galega de Equipos de Normalización e Dinamización Lingüística

8. message about the need to curtail the minority language as overprotection of it in the
educational system was tantamount to an attack on the people.
This administration’s lack of interest in language standarization is not limited to this
piece of legislation as the following paragraph demonstrates.
2. Other policies which prevent the standarization of Galician in the schools
The attacks on Galician and the scant commitment in its defense and promotion are
ever more evident when we turn our attention to the key area of education:
a) Elimination of the pilot project of linguistic immersion for children between 3 and 6,
which enabled schools to offer classes in the minority language. This action (suggested
by GPSGL) had wide family support and achieved excellent academic results. It was the
only way for urban students to acquire minimum linguistic competence.
b) Elimination of Nursery Schools where the teaching in Galician was guaranteed (up
to two thirds, not 100% as the current administration pledges)
c) Exemption from taking the Galician Language and Literature tests in the university
access exams for those students who did the first year of non-compulsory secondary
school course. (They are obliged to take those exams in Spanish)
d) Lack of support for the publishing industry in Galician, which led to a drastic
reduction in the number of printed books.
e) As to the teaching staff, teachers are no longer required to demonstrate a
knowledge of the minority language as, passing the Galician test is no longer a must in
order to become a public servant.
f) A decrease in the use of Galician within the educational administration, taking steps
against Galician being employed in official papers. Spanish is ever more present in
documents issued by the educational administration8.
g) The exclusion of Galician of the new technologies for educational purposes
8
A good example is the documentation that must be submitted in order to apply for the Summer
English Courses, which is available only in Spanish as it is managed by a company in Madrid, despite the
fact it is offered by the Galician administration and addressed exclusively to the Galician community.
Coordinadora Galega de Equipos de Normalización e Dinamización Lingüística

9. a. IT in the classroom is monolopolized by Spanish. By excluding Galician
from the science field_modernity speaks Spanish_the creation of IT related
material and resources in Galician, both for teachers and the administration
in general, is thwarted.
b. The setting up of the so called Abalar Project9 meant a setback for
Galician in the classroom. The materials available on the resources server
are scarce and mostly in Spanish. For instance just two items_of very low
quality_for the subject of Galician are available. The administration failed to
encourage the creation of materials and never bothered to have those in
Spanish translated, let alone producing resources in Galician. Total apathy
best describes the attitude in the areas of Galician Language and Literature.
Abalar’s internet contribution in Galician is non-existent. The presence of
Galician is completely ignored by the digital press. The administration
witnesses with arms folded the invisibility of Galician on the net.
c. The resources available on the administration’s educational webpage,
many of them in Galician, were suddenly withdrawn. As a result,
programmes as valuable as the Biosphere Project, which had been
translated into Galician and used to be available for Science classes were
removed and now can only be acessed on the Ministry of Education
webpage, in Spanish. All this is happening although the subject is taught in
Galician. In Maths and Technology the absence of Galician is total.
h) Budget cuts in the promotion of Galician. The money allocated for the promotion of
Galician developed by the Language Standardization and Improvement Teams were
reduced by 20%.
To sum up a considerable retreat of the presence of Galician was felt in Primary and
Secondary School due to the current decree. (If Decree 124/2007 fell short of meeting
the compromises as reflected on the European Chart , the new one is more deficient
9
Abalar is for the regional government, and in their own words, “the project that underpins the whole
strategy to fully integrate the new technologies into Galicia’s educational system, as a top priority plan
for Galicia’s Educational Authority”.
Coordinadora Galega de Equipos de Normalización e Dinamización Lingüística

10. and restrictive of the rights of a minority language, containing proposals which flatly
contradict and even fail to comply with the current legislation). The underlying
philosophy is there is a need to get rid of any trace of positive discrimination in favour
of Galician, as it is assumed that it is Spanish the beleaguered language. Therefore the
policies of the government aim at regaining the lost balance which Decree 124/2007
supposedly brought about. In order for them to achieve their goals, they started by
failing to fulfill the commitments, which had been unanimously approved in the
Galician Parliament as expressed in the General Plan of the Galician Language of 2004.
Allowing parents to make decisions about the language or assuring that Galician never
outweighs Spanish in the classroom are decisions which add insult to injury in the long
history of discrimination of Galician in the school system.
Santiago de Compostela, July 5 2011.
Valentina Formoso Gosende (General Coordinator of GACLSIT)
Coordinadora Galega de Equipos de Normalización e Dinamización Lingüística