Spanishizing Catalan Schoolchildren

Spanish Minister of Education, José Ignacio Wert

Spanish minister of Education José Ignacio Wert said in Congress that the intention of the Spanish government is to Spanishize Catalan schoolchildren. "Our interest is to Spanish-cize Catalan students so that they feel proud of being Spanish."

The Spanish minister stressed his point that pro-independence leanings are artificial and feeling Spanish is the natural thing. Wert believes separatism is the result of teaching children in Catalan, in a Catalan educational system (which Spain has continually undermined). He also said that the subject of history taught in Catalonia is notably different from that taught in Spain. “Over here (in Spain), this subject is called simply ‘history’, while in Catalonia, it is called "history of Spain."

The Ministry of Education has also reaffirmed the possibility of financing Spanish schools with public money to segregate students based on their language.

These facts become even more significant when you consider that trying to Spanishize Catalan children is not a new thing, as we can see in this cartoon from 1932: 

A Spanish army general orders troops: “Let’s Spanish-ize Catalonia!”
Times change, but Spain remains the same.

The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung criticized the events that took place during Spain's National Day (October 12th), set on a background of economic crisis and growing pro-independence sentiment in Catalonia.

“Meanwhile, the dispute between Madrid and Barcelona has been brought to the next level. Whilst Spanish Courts overwhelmingly rejected a unilateral referendum, Catalans fought back with a survey in which 74% of the population favors it,” goes on the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung article.

In addition, German media turn the spotlight on minister of culture, José Ignacio Wert, when they state that he “conceded ​​an unexpected point to secessionists when he said the Spanish government wants to Spanishize Catalan students." Indeed, it must be pointed out that you can only Spanishize someone if they are not Spanish.

"It sounded horribly like pure Franco," said the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung article.

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Spain seeks to destrou Catalan Educational System