How do Navarre's three language zones affect school language?

Key rules

• Zones: Navarre has three language zones, and your address decides which one you are in.
• Model G: All-Spanish schooling (model G) is not offered in the Basque-speaking zone.
• Model D: Basque-medium schooling (model D) is offered in all three zones.
• Individual schools: A school may offer only some of the models its zone allows, so check each school.

The short answer

Your address decides your zone, and your zone decides which language models schools can offer. Navarre has three zones: Basque-speaking, mixed and non-Basque-speaking. Check your zone before you compare schools.

The three zones

• Basque-speaking zone (zona vascófona): the north. Basque and Spanish are both official here.
• Mixed zone (zona mixta): Pamplona/Iruña and the area around it. Basque is partly protected, but it is not fully official.
• Non-Basque-speaking zone (zona no vascófona): the south and centre. Basque has no official status.

Which models each zone offers

The models are letters. Model G is all in Spanish, with no Basque. Model A is in Spanish, with Basque as a subject. Model B is partly in Basque. Model D is fully in Basque.

• Basque-speaking zone: no model G. Models A, B and D are offered, with B mainly here.
• Mixed zone: models G, A and D, and model B in some schools.
• Non-Basque-speaking zone: models G, A and D. Basque-medium schooling here depends on demand and on the school's programme.

These are the general rules. Each school may offer only some of the models its zone allows, so always check the school itself. This applies to public and publicly funded schools.

How this differs from the Basque model system

In Navarre your address sets what is on offer. Don't assume the model you want will be available just because you want it. If you live in the Basque-speaking zone, you cannot get an all-Spanish school. If you live in the non-Basque-speaking zone, Basque-medium places depend on demand.

What to do

1. Find your municipality in the official zone list. The Navarre education department and its Basque-language office (Euskarabidea) publish it on their websites.
2. Use the education department's school search to see each school's models.
3. Compare those models with what your zone allows.
4. If the model you want is not listed, ask the education department or the school directly.

The checklist and the questions below go through the same steps.

Checklist

• Find your municipality in the official zone list to see if it is Basque-speaking, mixed or non-Basque-speaking.

• Look up the zone list on the Navarre education department's website or on the site of its Basque-language office.

• Search the education department's school search for each school's language models.

• Compare the models each school offers with the ones your zone allows.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get an all-Spanish school (model G) in the Basque-speaking zone?

No, model G, which is all in Spanish with no Basque, is not offered in the Basque-speaking zone. It is offered in the mixed zone and the non-Basque-speaking zone. In the Basque-speaking zone, look at model A, where Basque is taught only as a subject.

Can I find Basque-medium schooling in the non-Basque-speaking zone?

Sometimes, because Basque-medium schooling there depends on demand and on the school's programme. Model D, taught in Basque, is offered in all three zones. Ask the education department which nearby schools run it.

Does every school in a zone offer every model?

No, individual schools may offer only some of the models available in their zone. Model B, with partial Basque, is mainly in the Basque-speaking zone and in some schools of the mixed zone. Check each school's models before you apply.