Regional languages: towards a new status for immersive education

The Minister of National Education Édouard Geffray announced before the Study Group on Regional Languages and Cultures of the National Assembly the upcoming creation of a regulatory framework aimed at removing immersive institutions from the derogatory regime. The two co-chairs of the study group also presented the minister with a bipartisan open letter signed by 50 deputies. (available in PDF at the bottom of the article).

The Minister of National Education Édouard Geffray announced before the Study Group on Regional Languages and Cultures of the National Assembly the upcoming creation of a new regulatory framework aimed at removing immersive institutions from the derogatory regime. An announcement met with caution by deputies Paul Molac and Peio Dufau.

The minister was heard on May 20 by the Study Group on Regional Languages and Cultures of the National Assembly, co-chaired by deputies Paul Molac and Peio Dufau.

According to a statement released by the two parliamentarians, Édouard Geffray presented "the main lines of a new regulatory framework aimed at removing immersive institutions from the derogatory regime." The precise content of this new measure is expected to be made public "in the coming days."

This development could represent a significant advancement for networks of immersive education in regional languages such as Diwan in Brittany, Seaska in the Basque Country, Calandreta in Occitanie, and the associative schools in the Catalan language, which have faced administrative blockages and significant legal insecurity for several years.

The issue of exams taken in regional languages was also addressed during this hearing. The statement notably mentions "the anger expressed in the Basque Country" on this subject, suggesting that the ministry may reconsider its position.

For Paul Molac, deputy of Morbihan and a historical advocate for regional languages, this announcement is the result of "significant parliamentary work, both in the Senate and in the National Assembly" [...] "The minister seemed to grasp the issue related to the teaching and transmission of our languages," he declares.

Peio Dufau, however, calls for caution: "We are now awaiting the officialization of the precise framework to assess the progress that this announcement represents."

The two co-chairs of the study group also presented the minister with a bipartisan open letter signed by 50 deputies. The text calls for an urgent reevaluation of the resources allocated to immersive networks and the removal of administrative obstacles still hindering the development of regional languages.

The announcement comes in a context that remains sensitive regarding immersive education. The Molac law of 2021 marked a significant symbolic advance for regional languages, before the Constitutional Council partially censored several provisions concerning immersive education in public schools.