The conservative Partido Popular wants to ensure instruction in Castillian
El País reports that the Partido Popular in Spain (the party descended from the Franco Fascist regime) has introduced legislation which would require all schools to offer all subjects at all levels in Castillian (known by the wider world as “Spanish”) as well as the local official language of all provinces.
Though not widely known or understood, Spain has four official languages: Basque, Catalan, Gallego, and Castillian, as well as a handful of unofficial, yet widely spoken languages such as Valenciano (a dialect of Catalan), and Asturiano (a dialect of Gallego). In some regions of Spain, Castillian is not widely used by the local population, and it’s not uncommon to encounter someone, particularly in rural areas, who can communicate effectively in only one of the official languages. Most native Castillian speakers are among the most monlingual people in the world, rarely speaking another of the official languages of the country.
While Catalan is spoken in the relatively wealthy region of Cataluña, Basque and particularly Gallego are restricted to more economically challenged regions of the country. Requiring virtually all instruction to be offered in two languages at all levels will be an economic burden in those regions. Furthermore, this legislation harks back to the Franco era when the dictator attempted to wipe out the other three languages by prohibiting their use in public places, and jailing people for speaking their native tongue. Understandably, the legislation is considered controversial.