Funding woes threaten future of Catalan-medium schools in France

More than 1,100 pupils attend nine Catalan-medium schools in Northern Catalonia, a region in southeast France that was once officially part of Catalonia and still maintains strong cultural and linguistic ties with its southern neighbor. 

La Bressola, the Perpignan-based cultural organization that supports the network of schools, is facing a funding crisis – despite the growing demand for Catalan-language education – and has urgently called on French authorities for help. 

In January, the organization warned the Pyrénées-Orientales department and Occitania region of a "liquidity shortfall" looming from May, which would prevent schools from paying salaries. 

If the French authorities do not offer them any support within 50 days, La Bressola says it will be forced to ask families to increase their financial contributions and, possibly, to close some of the schools. 

Inflation and lack of funding 

La Bressola's first schools was founded in 1976. Almost 50 years on, there are 1,100 students and 110 staff spread across seven primary schools and two high schools. Some 750 families pay fees based on their income.  

Guillem Nivet, La Bressola president, blames their body's financial crises on inflation and a lack of funding from the administrations.  

He explained that they have a budget of €4.5 million, with €1.9 million coming from the French education department and the rest assumed by the entity itself. 

The Pyrénées-Orientales Department grants them aid of €50,000 only – 1.1% of the overall budget – and the Occitania Region provides €117,000 – 2.6% of the total. 

Perpignan City Council used to grant them a subsidy of €60,000 but this has been withdrawn since a far-right National Rally mayor was elected.  

Authorities have promised more funding from September, but La Bressola has asked for €200,000 from both the Pyrénées-Orientales department and the Occitania region to cover the shortfall from May. 

South of the border 

Catalan politicians and groups south of the France-Spain border are also responding to the cry for help. 

At the end of January, the four Catalan regional councils – Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona – said they were looking for ways to guarantee the "survival" of La Bressola in Northern Catalonia, expressing their willingness to provide financial support. 

On a visit to Sant Galdric primary school in Perpignan on Thursday, former Catalan president Pere Aragonès called on all institutions, especially those in Northern Catalonia, to increase support for La Bressola. 

"We cannot stop standing up to the far right, which unfortunately also includes the Catalan language among its enemies," Aragonès said. 

On January 30, the Catalan Parliament officially recognized the work of La Bressola in the recovery of Catalan language and culture in Northern Catalonia. 

Friends of La Bressola (Amics de La Bressola) have launched a campaign to raise funds from individuals, organizations and businesses north and south of the border, and pro-independence group Òmnium Cultural raised over €50,000. 

La Bressola has called a demonstration for the morning of March 15 in Perpignan, if the French authorities do not come to their aid.