The Barcelona Ombudsman (Síndic de Greuges) has reminded the city’s Municipal Institute of Education (IMEB) of its duty to safeguard the linguistic rights of pupils and their families, as well as to encourage the use of Catalan in early childhood education.
The reminder follows a family’s complaint after a nursery school teacher announced at the beginning of a meeting that it would be held in Spanish. The family argued that no one had requested this change, although the IMEB later claimed that such a request had been made.
Despite this, the Ombudsman ruled that the way the IMEB handled the situation was inappropriate. The municipal body has since admitted its mismanagement and apologised for the discomfort caused.
This resolution underlines the ongoing importance of protecting linguistic rights in Barcelona, where debates about the role of Catalan and Spanish remain central in education.
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