Barely 12 hours after announcing that in compliance with the current educational law (Lomloe) Catalonia modified its Baccalaureate curriculum and left the subjects of Catalan Literature and Spanish Literature without the range of modality subjects to become optional, the Generalitat backs down and announces that it is holding talks with the Ministry of Education to nullify this curricular change and maintain the subject as a modality.
This was announced this Tuesday by the Minister of Education Esther Niubó after the meeting of the Governing Council in an appearance before the media. The counselor has specified that the Catalan government is not willing to “cross red lines” regarding the weight of literature (Catalan and Spanish) in the curriculum and that he will do everything possible so that the subject continues to have the same consideration in the Baccalaureate. Niubó has denied that the criterion has been rectified because, as he says, “there has been no regulatory modification,” and he assures that what has circulated is a “live working document», he says verbatim, that he has not yet finalized all the itineraries.
“It is not to rectify, it is to inform that when we carry out the modification of Baccalaureate curricula it will be done respecting this red line of Catalan and Spanish Literature, taking into account the linguistic and cultural uniqueness of Catalonia,” he highlighted. In this sense, he has announced that they are in talks with the Ministry of Education and that they see “very good receptivity to understand and respect, taking into account the cultural and linguistic uniqueness of Catalonia.”
The announcement that the subject was going from being a modality subject as it was until now in the second year of Baccalaureate to being optional in the first year was a new setback for the subject after the elimination of the required literature readings in the 2025 Selectivity at a time of “maximum concern” in the sector due to the “low level of Catalan students” in reading competence, according to the latest international reports.
The educational world has also reacted to the possible new change in the role of Literatures in High School. The Association of Writers in the Catalan Language (EFTA) has expressed its “deep concern” at the news, and requests a rectification.
In a statement this Monday, to which ABC has had access, they recall that until now Catalan Literature was a modality subject in 2nd year of Baccalaureate and they believe that “relegating it to an optional subject in 1st year implies a serious reduction in hours and the elimination of the recognition that deserves through the University Entrance Tests (PAU)» .
The entity considers that the teaching of Catalan literature “is a essential link “for the transmission of the country’s own culture and neglecting and belittling it with gestures like this attack the most basic values of humanism.” He also believes that it goes against two core elements of the identity of Catalonia “as a nation”, such as language and culture, to which all citizens should be able to access.
They have demanded Ministry and the Ministry rectify this decision, which they call arbitrary and not consensual with the representatives of the literary sector, and have asked the department to “remain faithful to the commitments made with the National Book and Reading Plan» in Catalonia.
#Generalitat #rectifies #hours #assures #reduce #weight #Literature #Baccalaureate
