Alex Trelinski
A motorcade protest took place over the weekend in Pilar de la Horadada on the southern Costa Blanca against the compulsory use of Valenciano in school lessons.
The language is barely used in the Vega Baja region of the Valencian Community but regional laws now mandate its use for teaching alongside Spanish.
Groups like ‘Hablamos Español’ and the ‘Pilar Association for Language Freedom’ were joined by regional Partido Popular politicians and mayors in the demonstration,
Banners were displayed demanding that ‘children should have the right to be taught in Spanish’
Pilar’s PP mayor, Jose María Perez Sanchez, said: “Hardly anybody speaks Valenciano in my municipality but we do want the two languages to co-exist.”
“The new law means that Valenciano is now imposed in schools which is unfair as the mother-tongue is Spanish. We want parents to have the right to choose,” he added.
The PP has opposed the new language rules introduced by the socialist-led Valencian government.
That also now includes a law passed last week which demands that people who get public sector jobs have to be able to speak Valenciano.
