Catalan groups debate language use and immersion in schools

Groups in Catalonia are actively campaigning regarding the use of the Catalan language in the education system. Plataforma per la Llengua has launched a manifesto titled “A l’escola catalana, la llengua no es toca” (In the Catalan school, the language is not to be touched). The document denounces a perceived regression in Catalan usage and warns against judicial threats to the linguistic immersion model. It calls on the Generalitat to reinforce immersion policies, noting that data suggests over 28% of students rarely or never use Catalan with classmates.

The manifesto also highlights legal pressures, including a Supreme Court ruling regarding Spanish language signage and potential Constitutional Court decisions concerning minimum Spanish language requirements in classrooms.

Simultaneously, the Coordinadora de Entidades de la Resistencia Cívica de Tarragona has launched a campaign advocating for bilingualism. This initiative includes the distribution of stickers near educational centers with slogans such as “No a la inmersión lingüística” and “Catalán sí, Castellano también,” protesting what they describe as the imposition of Catalan and the lack of Spanish language visibility in public and religious signage.