A QUICK VIEW TO

LABIAGA IKASTOLA-BERA (BASQUE COUNTRY)

WHAT IS AN "IKASTOLA"?

Ikastola means school in Basque language. Basque language is one of the oldest in Europe and there has not been found any relationship between our language and others.

The ikastola or Basque school exists in the seven provinces of the Basque Country (Euskal Herria) which is politically divided in three parts: one in France and two parts in Spain (Navarre and the so called Euskadi- the last is often translated as Basque Country as well).

Ikastolas are Basque autonomous, plural and very participative schools. They try to offer to the society an educational project comitted with the spreading of the Basque language and culture but without forgetting the other cultures.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE IKASTOLAS?

AIMS

Our ikastolas aims to educate the students in Basque language (Euskara) taking into account the whole person. These schools try to inculcate a sense of solidarity and cooperation, enabling them to be actively engaged in the further developement of our country.

Human Rights and human values are taken into acount when we educate.

Basque country´s plural society is present in our work.

Ikastolas pretend to educate the students taking care for people's, ideas and behavioural plurality.

Cooperational attitude in any school activity is important.

Ikastolas want to act with independence but with a social control or supervision.

The long way objective is to create a school for all the Basque Country.

INTERNAL ORGANIZATION

The main governing body of each school is the General Assembly constituted by all the parents and all the teachers and workers. Once every year there is a general meeting to take the main decisions.

On the other hand there is a Board of elected governors (formed by 9 parents and 3 teachers at Labiaga Ikastola who meet frequently) that represents the assembly and delegates the school's headship on the headmaster and all the teachers (20).

EXTERNAL ORGANIZATION

The ikastolas are gathered in Territorial Federations which, in turn, are coordinated by the General Confederation of the Basque Country.

The Federation of Navarre: The sixteen (16) ikastolas of Navarre (Nafarroa in Basque), in all their diversity, are members of the Federation of Ikastolas of Nafarroa.

On the other hand, the Confederation of Ikastolas of the Basque Country is a service for all the ikastolas. It is ready to adapt itself to new processes of training and research, to collaborate with other associations and institutions and encourage participative internal management in order to facilitate and achieve a more efficient work.

At the same time, in every political region the schools have a general supervision by the Education authorities from the Official Governments.

RESOURCES

The ikastola identifies closely with the peolple who make up its educational community.

One of the main objectives is to keep its educational project up to date using public money, its own resources and any further aid that might be forthcoming from collaboration between all the ikastolas.

The own finantiation does not follows any economical benefits.

The ikastolas have a particular agreement for their workers.

The Confederation of ikastolas has a solidarity bank account for any ikastola that could be in financial trouble.

CURRICULUM

From their birth date the ikastolas have tried to renew their educational project regularly. They have a research and development programme in order to get this goal. Their philosophy assumes the responsability of answering the constantly changing demands of society.

One of the key factors of the "ikastola" project is to provide specific teaching materials for its own development. Our schools create, produce and publish this material intended for all ages and educational fields.

Secondary school and curriculum: In order to fullfil the new Spanish law of education the ikastolas have developed curriculum adaptations and have put them into practice since 1992.

HOW HAVE THE IKASTOLAS BEEN CREATED? HOW IS THE IKASTOLAS HISTORY?

1914. First ikastola. 1932.First Association of ikastolas.

1936-1939 Civil war.

1944. Opening of a clandestine ikastola in Donostia-San Sebastian.

1955-1975 Development of the ikastolas into the darkness.

1976-1999 New educational laws, new recognized development.

Althogh Labiaga ikastola is plenty recognized and financially supported at the Primary School by the Government´s Educational Department, our Secondary School has had serious problems to be financed.

GENERAL ASPECTS OF OUR SCHOOL IN BERA: LABIAGA IKASTOLA

Labiaga Ikastola is a Pre-school, primary education and secondary compulsory education school in Bera, a rural village in the north of Navarre with 3.500 inhabitants. It is very close from the Spanish-French border.

One of the two buildings of the Ikastola, the secondary school building offers the space for the four groups of students (DBH1, DBH2, DBH3, DBH4).

They are 100 boys and gilrs (approximately) ranging from 12 to 16 years of age.

20 teachers work at the school. Some of them teach exclusively to one of the levels and others teach to primary and secondary levels.

The number of pupils in the classes varies between 15 and 30. However free choice lessons´groups can be smaller. Almost all the subjects have their specific classroom. Some subjects have a complementary teacher for students with difficulties.

The lessons of the secondary level are organized in the following way:

Compulsory subjects: Basque language, Spanish, English, Mathematics, Human Sciences (Geograpry and History), Natural Sciences, Technology, Arts, Physical Education and Music.

Pupils´Free Choice lessons:

For DBH1, DBH2 and DBH3, one lesson a week. The choices change every year. We have offered French, Communication workshop (newspaper), Photograpy, Computers, Art workshop, Cooking...

They choose between Catholyc Religion and Alternative studies as well.

The combinations for the 4. level are more complex.

DBH4 level´s Free Choice lessons: some of the mentioned compulsory subjects become free choice options. The pupils must select between these groups:

One between Technology or Biology-Geology (3 h a week).

One between Classic Culture or Phisics-Chemistry (3 h a week).

One between Music and Visual arts (2 h a week).

One between Maths A level and Maths B level( 4h a week).

However, Languages, Maths, History and Physical Education are complusory.

After this DBH4 course they must choose between a great variety of technical studies or pre-university studies (Sciences, Human Sciences or Art).