An Ikastola (Basque pronunciation: [ikas̺tola], plural ikastolak) is a type of primary and secondary school in the Basque Autonomous Community, Navarre and (to a much lesser extent) the French Basque Country (see Basque Country) in which pupils are taught either entirely or predominantly in the Basque language. Ikastolak can be nowadays either private or public, divided into different networks.
The Basque language public network relies on state funding and management, allocated in Spain by the education institutions of the Basque Autonomous Comunity and Navarre in their corresponding territories, while in France the association Ikas-Bi in the public network advocates for bilingual education. Seaska is the private network of Basque language schools in the French Basque Country, closely linked to the similar network in the Southern Basque Country. The private networks base their activity on the fees paid by parents, popular subscription (either directly or by means of annual massive festivals, e.g. Herri Urrats, Nafarroa Oinez, Araba Euskaraz, etc.) and the allowance provided by public educational institutions.
Although spoken more widely than in later times, there was very little schooling undertaken in Basque before the early 20th century revival in Basque nationalism. The first official ikastola was opened in 1914, and the movement to transfer the medium of education in the Basque Autonomous Community from Spanish to Basque became widespread late in the 20th century. Following the Republican defeat in the Spanish Civil War, the public use of Basque was made illegal, and all educational institutions were forced to teach entirely through the medium of Castilian, to the complete neglect of Basque. There are, however, isolated examples of ikastolak which clandestinely continued to teach in Basque. After the Civil War, the first official network of ikastolak was created by the Francoist provincial government of Alava in 1973 and were State financed.
With the return of democracy following the death of Franco in 1975, large degrees of self-government were given to the Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre, and ikastolak sprang up all over the Basque region in northern Spain. At the present time, tens of thousands of schoolchildren in the Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre attend ikastolak.
The status of ikastolak differs greatly depending on their location. They are firmly entrenched in the traditionally Basque-speaking areas of the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC), but less so in non-Basque speaking areas (i.e. the southern fringes). Basque language schools in the north of Navarre do not enjoy the same support from the regional government as they do in the BAC, but they are officially recognised and enjoy widespread local support (traditionally Basque speaking), unlike central and southern areas of Navarre, where they lack public recognition and funding.
In the French Basque Country, the ikastolak developed later, but grew steadily, so much so that a network is now widespread throughout the whole territory covering education up to A level.
Official site of the Federation of Ikastolak (Basque)