Diwan (school)

Sofa ( Breton [' diwɑn ]: "seed" ) is a Breton, was established in 1977 together with the purpose, away from the centralized French school system to create opportunities for the establishment bretonischsprachiger schools.

Description

At the time of establishment of the association disclosure of Breton in the vast majority of families had already been torn down, so that the possibility to learn the language at school, many to be the only chance seemed to prevent the imminent extinction of Breton. Within the system of public education, the minority languages ​​of France were ( langues régionales ) neglected and maximum taught as an optional subject one hour per week.

The access of sofa is quite different: not Breton as a foreign language, but as a vehicle of the entire education and all social activities and the school administration. In sociolinguistic terms: the language domains are to be given, in which they, and not the French is also used outside of a pure language course. As the number of Breton speakers and thus the possibility for use in extracurricular life decreases dramatically, the Diwan- schools present as islands within an almost entirely French-speaking society.

One of the basic principles of the organization and also his main problem is the gratuitousness: social selection is to be avoided at all costs, and the parents can ( and should) donate as much as they can, but it will not be charged tuition.

History

The first Diwan school was founded in Lampaul- Ploudalmézeau 1977.

The first Diwan school was opened in 1994 in Le Relecq -Kerhuon ( Brest ). It was moved to Carhaix- Plouguer 1999.

The attempt to integrate into the public school system, which was undertaken by the then Culture Minister Lang, failed not allow other languages ​​of instruction in French schools recently in 2001 at several political objections, the ( " The language of the Republic is French " ) having regard to Article 2 of the Constitution want.

In the school year 2003/04, 2,761 students attended Diwan -run classes. 2004 Diwan- school was founded in Paris, which now accounts for around 50 pupils. In the school year 2010/11, 3,528 students are taught. There are 41 schools, 6 secondary schools and one high school.

In Lusatia the project Witaj was justified (Sorbian for Welcome ) in 1998 after the model of the Diwan- schools, dedicated to the same principle of bilingual Sorbian- German upbringing.