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This is the usual meeting that takes place at the beginning of the school year, when Basque teachers from Basque clubs in various European countries suggest topics and issues, share and discuss their experiences, as well as update their materials and information to make their teaching better. That is what they did again, when 17 teachers from clubs in Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Valencia, Bordeaux, Rome, Valladolid, Pau and London gathered for the weekend at the hosting club in Bordeaux.

Bordeaux, France.  Organized by HABE with the support of the local Bordaleko Euskal Etxea, Eskaldunen Biltzarra, the meeting took place on October 20-21, Friday and Saturday with 17 teachers attending representing 9 Basque clubs.  Over the two days, they worked for 12 hours to discuss and exchange ideas and impression, as well as talk about “the optimum organization of mintzamena (oral practice) at Basque club” or other questions like “how to determine if a student has achieved the necessary level to take the accreditation exam.”

Kinku Zinkunegi, coordinator of the Euskara Munduan Program for HABE, explained to EuskalKultura.com that this meeting done every year in Europe around October, with the school year just starting, it's an excellent opportunity for Basque teachers to get to know each other, exchange ideas, as well as their experiences in other Basque clubs in other countries and face this new academic year with more resources and energy.  “In the majority of the European Basque clubs the groups have already been established and we think that this is the perfect time to get together since they still have the entire year ahead of them,” he said.

In the words of the coordinator of Euskara Munduan, the European Basque teachers’ profiles are varied, although they can certainly be divided into two groups: “those who have been doing this for a long time, and have a lot of experience and who attended this meeting every year,” and on the other hand, “the new teachers who in many cases are attending for the first time, and who constitute a much more fluid group.”  “The challenge is to find common ground and make one group, so that everyone benefits fully form the gathering.

Zinkunegi wants to shared his sincere appreciation for the hosting club, Bordaleko Euskal Etxea, and stressed the remarkable welcome they enjoyed all weekend.  “As always, they really opened their doors to us, and we really felt at home, we have nothing but good words to say for club president, David Mugica, and Patrick Urruty and local teacher Estitxu Irisarri,” he said.

Participants unanimously approved the offer made by Gure Etxea in Valladolid, so the next meeting will be held at the beginning of the next academic year, specifically on the 19th and 20th of October in Valladolid, Spain.