Esquerra parliamentary group chair maintains that Catalan language immersion in schools is a “collective and irrefutable success”

“We want to live our lives fully in Catalan, and we don’t want obstacles, fear, or having to ask for permission to do so,” said the chair of the Esquerra Republicana parliamentary group Josep Maria Jové forcefully upon taking the floor in the Catalan Chamber.

Mr Jové raised the issue of protection of Catalan as “one of the most important and urgent challenges” for the country. The language, said the Esquerra parliamentarian, faces the threat of a “globalizing world,” and above all from the Spanish state, “an empire obsessed with crushing diversity.”

Proof lies in the state’s will to “overturn language immersion,” Mr Jové pointed out. “Immersion is a national, collective and irrefutable success,” said the group chair, “and even those who reject it here are living proof of the fact.” As a result, the state’s “political and judicial assaults” on the Catalan school model persist.

Mr Jové warned that preserving the Catalan language and schooling “is a common task for all and pertains to us all.” In this regard, he called on the public to participate in the rally called by the teachers’ and parents’ associations platform Som Escola on Saturday in defence of language immersion. “Immersion forms part of our national consensus,” said Mr Jové “at least it should,” he added, referring to the Catalan Socialist Party PSC, who have announced they will not be attending the protest.

“Catalan schools must be defended” he concluded, “because above all, it is where the future we want is being built.”

Protecting and promoting the language is a priority for the Government

The President of the Catalan Generalitat government, Pere Aragonès, also took the floor to guarantee that the protection of the Catalan language is a priority of his administration. “This government will make the defence and promotion of the language one of its main axes, also in schools,” said the president.

In this regard, Mr Aragonès referred to the policies the executive is preparing, including the convention of the summit on the Catalan language in schools on Thursday 16 December, as well as the National Pact for Language.