No. 154 June 2020 1 Editorial: Brittany and Covid-19 Bro Nevez 154 As is the case all over the world, Brittany has not been spared in the pandemic. However, it appears that the June 2020 more rural nature of Brittany has meant it was less impacted than more concentrated urban areas. That is certainly true here in the U.S. where the more ISSN 0895 3074 concentrated the population, the wider spread the virus has been. While numbers are always difficult to interpret and keep changing, as of June 9 statistics show that the EDITOR’S ADRESS & E-MAIL Region of Brittany (Finistère, Côtes d’Armor, Morbihan and Ille-et-Vilaine) have had some 2,900 cases with 324 deaths. Loire-Atlantique has had 859 cases with 153 Lois Kuter, Editor deaths. Brittany – all five departments – has a population Bro Nevez of some 4.7 million people. 605 Montgomery Road Ambler, PA 19002 U.S.A. For France as a whole there have been some 154,000 cases and 29,300 deaths. Cases per1,000 people = 2.31. 215 886-6361 For the U.S. there have been close to 2 million cases and nearly 110,000 deaths. Cases per 1,000 = 5.79. [email protected] And as is the case elsewhere, the economic impact of U.S. ICDBL website: www.icdbl.org closing businesses and cancelling events has hit Brittany hard. Recovery will be long. With the abatement of new cases, things are beginning to open up – as they are here The U.S. Branch of the International Committee for the in the U.S. – but will tourists flock to Brittany’s beaches and restaurants? Time will tell how well Brittany will fare, Defense of the Breton Language (U.S. ICDBL) was incorporated but Bretons are enterprising and creative people, so I am as a not-for-profit corporation on October 20, 1981. Bro Nevez hopeful. (“new country” in the Breton language) is the newsletter produced by the U.S. ICDBL. It is published quarterly. Lois Kuter Contributions, letters to the editor, corrections, and ideas are welcome from all readers and will be printed at the discretion of the Editor. The U.S. ICDBL provides Bro Nevez on a complimentary basis to a number of language and cultural organizations in Brittany to show our support for their work. Your Virtual Festoù Noz Membership/Subscription allows us to mail print copies. Fest noz du confinement Membership (which includes subscription) for one year is $20. Checks should be in U.S. dollars, made payable to “U.S. ICDBL” As is the case in many countries, concerts and festivals and mailed to Lois Kuter at the address above. have been cancelled or postponed as communities have worked to create the social distancing needed to stop This newsletter can be sent as a PDF file attached to an e- further spread of Covid 19. In Brittany where the music mail instead of the print version. Just let the Editor know scene is so lively and dancing at a fest noz every how you would like to receive it. The e-mail version is much weekend is an addiction for many, the cancellation of more colorful than the photocopied print copy! these events has been sad and professional musicians and those associated with the music world have been financially impacted. But Bretons have found ways to Back issues of Bro Nevez can be found on the U.S. ICDBL keep a healthy distance and still give musicians and website dancers an opportunity to get together. Ideas expressed within this newsletter are those of the Since March the organization Tamm-Kreiz has organized individual authors, and do not necessarily represent ICDB six virtual festoù noz (March 21, 28, April 11, 25 and May philosophy or policy. 9, 23 … with more to come?) Musicians perform live on Facebook and dancers log in to participate (facebook.com/TammKreiz). This has brought performers on stage from Canada, Belgium and Japan as well as 2 Bretons of all ages and abilities – well known and less conducting activities in the regional language in different known singers and instrumentalists. While the visual areas of learning” – did not seem to be taken into account quality is not always perfect, the music has gotten in the instructions addressed to public schools of thousands of Bretons dancing. Check out the Tamm Finistère on April 20, 2020. Kreiz website to learn more: tamm-kreiz.bzh. Although cited, the article L312 11 of the Education Code (“teachers are authorized to resort to regional language in Teaching Breton in the Public Schools of elementary and preschools each time they can profit by Brittany – Introductory Classes Threatened this in their teaching, notably for the study of the French language”) does not seem to have been taken into A Statement from Kelennomp Breizh account either to expand a teaching of the Breton language and culture in scheduling spots other than The following report is my translation of an article of June those designated for learning foreign languages, with is 2, 2020, on the Kelennomp Breizh website English in the vast majority of cases. (kelennomp.bzh). My apologies for any errors of translation. LK It is clear that this vision of things introduces a competition between English and the Breton language to There’s “reuz” (calamity) in the terms set down for an the detriment of the latter. As if it was necessary to introduction to the Breton language in the public schools choose between English and Breton and that teaching of Finistère, the only department of Brittany to propose both was not possible. These directives risk making an global terms for an introduction to Breton for students not introduction to the Breton language even more difficult at taught in the bilingual streams. the elementary level where only 8% of the students take a beginning class as opposed to 27% at the preschool At the beginning of the 2018 school year, nearly 7,800 level. students followed an introductory class in Breton in the public schools of Finistère – 29.5% of students in One must remark that in these conditions it will be very preschool, but just 8% of student in elementary school difficult to obtain the objective of the linguistic plan of (levels 2 and 3). Finistère in favor of the Breton language which has been to “ask for the generalization of terms for all students in The associaitons in charge of the terms (Sked, KLT, An the framework of State missions, as already put to work Oaled, Mervent) with whom the agreement must be in other French regions (Corsica and Alsace) The renewed at the end of 2020 with the National Education, departmental political representatives will propose to addressed a joint letter on May 11, 2020, to Mme. other Breton collectivities to join this request.” Lombardi-Pasquier, director of academic services for National Education in Finistère, denouncing new We will equally mention what was written in the State- restrictive rules for the establishment of introductory Region Convention on the transmission of the languages classes for Breton, most notably impacting Levels 2 and of Brittany for the period 2015-2020: “For the first steps, 3 in elementary schools. particular attention will be given to the possibility of offering a sensibilization to the Breton language and The restrictive rules which imperil the introduction of culture in teaching through adopting necessary Breton in elementary schools for Levels 2 and especially pedagogical tools so that students become familiar with Level 3 are drawn from the 2017-072 Circular on the the regional patrimony. The progressive putting into place teaching of regional languages. of an introduction to the language in the 3rd level during the regular scheduling times for classes, as is the case in Instructions in the 2017 Circular seem to impact the Finistère for some public schools, will be encouraged.” conditions for teaching an introduction to Breton at the 2nd and 3rd Levels without changes at the preschool level Nevertheless, one finds in the Education Code the Article (Level 1). In fact, the Circular stipulates that henceforth L312-11-1 on the teaching of the Corsican language in an introduction to the Breton language can only be done schools: “The Corsican language is a subject taught in during the scheduled time for the teaching of foreign the framework of the regular schedule of the preschools languages, while previously this introduction could be and elementary schools of Corsica.” It seems that in done at any time in the teaching schedule: “A regional France rules are not the same for everyone. language may be taught on the schedule designated for living foreign languages or regional languages.” The president of the Regional Council of Brittany, M. Chesnais-Girard, just addressed a letter to the Minister of Yet, one notes that the second part of the sentence - “the National Education. An earlier letter on the same theme teaching of the regional language is potentially of optional teaching of the Breton language sent in April supported, depending on the school’s plans, by 2018 to the Minister of National Education and co-signed by the president of the Departmental Council of Finistère, 3 Mme. Sarrabezolles, and the current president of the bottom line is to remain practical and listen to the Regional Council remains without a response. intentions of the parents. A nearly identical letter addressed in December 2016 to This interpretation, in putting onto place competitions the former Minister of National Education, Mme Vallaud- between English ad regional languages, imperils the Belkacem, was co-signed by the president of the latter. One can easily deduce the choice of parents in Regional Council at the time, M.