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The new ikastola Ezkia in Hazparne inaugurated in a great festive atmosphere

Hezkuntza / Iparraldea - 2003/04/27

A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION BY UDALBILTZA. The new ikastola (Basque school) EZKIA in Hazparne (Lapurdi) has officially been inaugurated today, Sunday the 27th of April at midday. The following have attended the act: parents, teachers and pupils from the school, the Minister of Culture of the Basque Government, Miren Azkarate, members of the Executive Board of UDALBILTZA, Ramuntxo Camblong and Jose Mari Agirre, the ex-Secretary-General of Linguistic Policy of the Basque Government and the current Secretary of the del EBB of the PNV, Josune Ariztondo, in addition to numerous local authorities from the area.

The inauguration has taken place in a great festive atmosphere, with the pupils of the ikastola playing a leading role by singing a song dedicated to it and performing a brief play underlining the flowering of their new school.

The renovation and extension of the ikastola has involved changing from obsolete, very precarious and prefabricated installations of around 300 square metres to now being equipped with modern installations with a total surface area of 861 square metres, in addition to a large playground. 116 primary pupils of between 2 and 11 years of age study in the school; these pupils come from a dozen or so villages around Hazparne. There are eight teachers.

The renovation and extension of the ikastola has been made possible thanks to the persistence and determination of parents who have been demanding a school with good installations for a long time. 60% of the cost of the work has been met by the Basque Government, 20% by UDALBILTZA and 20% by the Federation of Ikastolas of Iparralde, SEASKA.

During the inaugural act, the Chairman of SEASKA, Mixel Etcheverry, has criticized the lack of support from the French authorities and shown gratitude for the efforts made by the Basque Government and UDALBILTZA in favour of Euskera. The headmistress of the ikastola, Maite Erdozaintzi, has praised the quality of teaching in Euskera and asked her pupils to look after and use and their language. For their part, a representative from among the parents has referred to the difficulties faced in obtaining the new ikastola and been moved by the fact of their being able to offer their children an education in Euskera.

Finally, both the Minister of Culture of the Basque Government, Miren Azkarate, and the town councillor of Anglet and member of the Executive Board of UDALBILTZA, Ramuntxo Camblong, has reaffirmed the commitment on the part of their respective institutions in favour of helping the development of Euskera.





Hazparne, on the 27th of April 2003