User:Lmfaba/Education in Catalan

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In Catalonia, a unitary linguistic model has been formed with Catalan as the main vehicular language known as an "immersion", "conjunction" or "single tuition language" model, based on the notion that "everybody has the right to education in Catalan" and this language "must normally be used as vehicular language, and for university and non-university learning and teaching", as stated in article 35 of the Catalonia Statute of Autonomy of 2006. It was first developed in the law of 1983 "Llei de Normalització Lingüística" (Law of Linguistic Normalization) approved in by the Parliament of Catalonia. Closely afterwards the model de conjunció en català (‘conjunction-in-Catalan model’) was deployed progressively around all Catalonia. At the time of 1986 the whole country was using Catalan as tuition language except for the subjects devoted to teach other languages, including Castilian. There are exemptions: the system recognises the right to receive primary education in Catalan and Spanish at the first school levels. Pupils joining the Catalan school system later can receive linguistic support if Catalan is not their first language. Teachers of subjects other than linguistics can use Castilian if they see fit. In 1998 the law saw some modifications. The Language Policy Act of 1998 integrated the model de conjunció en català as the sole school-related language policy in Catalonia. The model declared that Catalan is the language of normal use in education, the language of teaching and that of learning, and establishes that the two official languages must have a proper presence in curriculum.

The aim of the system is to prevent school segregation on linguistic grounds. This model of course requires the teachers to be able to express themselves in either of Catalonia’s two official languages. In order to guarantee this point, in 1991 a law was approved governing access to the education sector, requiring teachers to have a level of Catalan and Castilian allowing them to perform their professional duties in accordance with the applicable legislation. This system has been praised by EU and UNESCO.