Association of Schools: “The management of registration does not serve to end segregation”
- In May 2023, the Basque Government issued a decree on the good integration of vulnerable children in the Basque education system, and today Ikastolen makes a very critical assessment of it: it has not served to end segregation. A number of proposals have also been made to address the situation.
One of the objectives of the decree was to promote inclusive schooling, i.e. to ensure that all students have equal opportunities in enrolment: “This goal is also the goal of the schools that make up the Association of Schools and we work hard to make vulnerable students come to the schools as well.” For those responsible for the schools, no measures have been taken to achieve this objective and, therefore, “an exhaustive shared evaluation is necessary to assess the results and collateral damage”.
In addition, the association says that this order has limited the number of students enrolled in the schools in practice, even though there are free places in the classrooms: “Every year the Department of Education is lowering enrollment limits, which has affected the school’s enrollment capacity.”
The formula used to calculate the child vulnerability index is also considered inappropriate: “The basis of these indices is the questionnaire that families voluntarily fill out, which does not provide us with reliable data.” Therefore, they consider that to calculate the vulnerability index, it is necessary to establish precise, measurable and real indicators, such as “family income, assets, or whether or not the profession is certified”.
With regard to students who enroll with the school year already underway, “intense enrollment is a good measure to combat segregation if the distribution of the most vulnerable students is done well.” Ikastola believes that this distribution is currently being carried out in a more appropriate way, which has resulted in “a significant increase in the number of students of both foreign and vulnerable origin who are enrolled in the centres during the academic year”.
However, they say that this is not enough and there are no clear criteria to guide this distribution, nor a clear and firm will for equity, “we believe that this distribution is done in an intentional way and that the number of children to which we belong is not directed to the schools.”
Finally, they consider that with the current system, the right of families to choose an educational center is not fully guaranteed: “The registration process and the zoning application limit this possibility in some cases, which constitutes a violation of equal opportunities.”
Proposals by Ikastol
Five proposals have been identified to improve the current situation. One, the trainees will develop a new formula based on objective data and indicators to calculate the vulnerability index. Two, a review of the design of the areas of influence in the localities, “the configuration of these areas often reinforces the distribution according to the socioeconomic origin of the families, resulting in an accumulation of vulnerable students in certain centers.”
Three, the creation of neutral municipal registration offices to ensure transparency and equality of information, so that parents “receive clear and reliable guidance in the offices closest to their families.” Four, the adequate use of live tuition, which is “one of the main tools to ensure the balance of the educational system, since the number of students who enter it is very high. We believe that there is an urgent need to regulate intense enrolment in a more transparent, balanced and equitable way.”
And five, according to the spokespeople of the association, the schools are a tool in the construction of their own educational system in the Basque Country and, therefore, “any family in the Basque Country should have the opportunity to be part of the schools. To this end, we demand that all the schools in which we offer the Public Education Service be treated in a similar way, adapting the offer according to the requests and in this case without affecting the enrolment capacity of the schools”.
Ikastol's scholarship system
While the Department of Education is taking measures, they have also defined what they will do from the association of schools: one, “We will establish our own scholarship system to guarantee universal access for all students and allow anyone who wants to participate in our project to do so. The school community will ensure equal opportunities through a strong solidarity mechanism.”
Two, we will develop a “new plan for the Basque language for students who do not bring Basque from home, either for locals or for those who come from abroad”. From the next academic year, immersion spaces will be launched at the local level, for which the involvement of the administrations has been demanded, “this project aims to immerse the students in the Basque language and culture, so that they can continue their academic career in dignified linguistic conditions”. And finally, we will work to ensure that all the families who have chosen Ikastola “have the opportunity to stay in our country”.
Those who want the exact content of the whole event can access it on the association’s website.
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