Back Again: the Courts and the Use of the Languages of Instruction

This article discusses a series of rulings by the Spanish Supreme Court from December 9, 13, and 15, 2010, and their impact on the language system in Catalan schools.  It focusses on the authority of the Catalan Government to determine the use of the official languages of Catalonia as languages of instruction.  Specifically, it analyzes to what extent the parents have the right to choose their children´s language of instruction.  In contradistinction to the Supreme Court´s position, the article discusses the Council of Europe experts´ report on the implementation of the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages, which gives a favorable evaluation of the language model followed in the Catalan school.