The Basque Government has launched a table for "inclusive, equitable and quality school" at the beginning of the school year

The Social Pact for School Segregation  , which will mark the road map for the construction of a "more cohesive, inclusive and just" system, is already in place in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. The President, Imanol Pradales, and the Education Counsellor, Begoña Pedrosa, have held the first meeting of the Excellent School Programme.

The Government has distributed\u00A0 to 50 educational agents diagnostics that meet themain challengesof the system in the coming years . This forum aims to agree on "sustainable and feasible" measures to transform the education system, reduce school segregation, improve results and strengthen school efficiency.

According to the President, "the system has to deal with terrible changes that will not stop," so he believes that "innovation and adaptation are needed." "In the face of these changes, patches are not enough," he said, and therefore "we need to consolidate and prepare the system." Pradales believes that the foundations must be laid now to ensure quality education not only in the short term but also in the future for all students. "

In this regard, he points out that in the last two years 13,000 fewer enrolmentshave been registered in the early stages of the student due to the fall in the birth rate.

He also points out that in 2020-2021, 2,500 students were enrolled at the beginning of the course, and in 2024, 8,000. Many of these students, he said, have come from other countries, "have suspended educational pathways, do not know Basque and in some cases even Spanish, and have specific needs for educational support".

The table brings together public administrations, trade unions, universities, concerted employers, political parties and social organizations, including organizations such as PNV, PSE-EE, EH Bildu, PP, LAB, UGT, CCOO, UNICEF, Save the Children and EHIGE .

ELA and Steilas unions have not attended this first meeting.  Steilas has warned that educational policies to combat segregation "go in the opposite direction" and will therefore not participate in the table set up by the Basque Government.

Almost 340,000 students have started the course.

The table has been launched with the start of the 2025-2026 course. This year 339,586 students have started their classes inthe Basque Country. Ja0 Although the enrollment rate has fallen , in the last five years the living tuition has tripled, with 8,000 students last year.