Associations that protect minority languages in Brittany have expressed their indignation this week following the decision to end Breton and Gallo education in fourteen secondary schools in the region. The vice-chancellor of the Academy of Rennes [site], Jean-Baptiste Carpentier, announced the proposal at the last Academic Council of Regional Languages, which took place on 15 January.

The news went largely unnoticed until the Union of Breton Teachers began spreading the word. The Breton League of Human Rights (LBDH) was one of the first organizations to react, declaring that "the French state is orchestrating the death of the Breton language" and reminding us that the French Republic has not yet ratified the European Charter for Minority Languages.

In a press release, the Federation of Gallo Associations, Andon Dou Gallo, claimed that the decision "shows the contempt of the Academy of Rennes for our languages", and maintained that, for some years now, "the demand for teaching in Gallo has been increasing, but since this demand is not met by the national curriculum, learners have to resort to associations, most of which do not have the means to cater for them".

Further information:

• Comunicat de la Federació Sindical Unitària
• Agence Bretagne Press [site]