Madrid and Barcelona disagree over Spanish language

A row is brewing over what version of Spanish should be taught in schools.

Catalonian school students have, until now, always been taught in Catalan but now following a court ruling, if there is one pupil who wants to be taught in Castillian Spanish, then the whole class must follow suit.

Catalan Education Minister, Irene Rigau, says the ruling is ridiculous. ‘We guarantee the right of every family to ask for individual attention at elementary and primary schools. But that right cannot affect the rights of other families,’ she said.

So far only 17 families have asked for the changes, according to the Catalan schools platform, which is not fair on thousands of others. However, spokesman for the group, Josep Maria Cervello is not worried because he says ‘the ruling won’t even be applied.’

Some see the ruling as an attack on Cataluyna’s recent attempts to gain more independence.

Recently, a left-wing Catalonian minister was ejected from the national parliament in Madrid for speaking in Catalan after demanding the ruling should be applied there too.