id: basque-ikastola-assembly
title: Basque Ikastola Parents' Assembly
description: >-
  A Basque practice in which the parents of an ikastola — a Basque-medium
  cooperative school — govern the school through a general assembly, with
  each family holding a voice. Ikastolas emerged during the Franco era as
  grassroots Basque language schools and remain parent-cooperative in
  governance.
source: Ikastola movement / Federation of Ikastolas of the Basque Country
source_url: https://www.ikastola.eus/
tags: [basque, ikastola, education, cooperative, assembly]
forked_from: null
image: null
steps:
  - headline: Convene all families
    description: >-
      The ikastola convenes a general assembly of all families whose
      children attend. Each family, not each parent, holds a voice in the
      governance of the school.
  - headline: Present with full accounts
    description: >-
      The governing board presents the school's accounts, educational
      plan, and staff situation, shared in advance so families arrive
      informed.
  - headline: Deliberate on direction
    description: >-
      The assembly deliberates on the school's direction — pedagogical
      choices, Basque-language policy, finances, staffing — with all
      families able to speak.
  - headline: Vote by family
    description: >-
      The assembly votes on decisions, each family casting one vote. The
      board is elected or confirmed from among the families.
  - headline: Mandate the board
    description: >-
      The assembly mandates the board to implement the decisions, with the
      board accountable to the next assembly.
outcome: >-
  A Basque-medium school is governed by the families whose children
  attend, with direction set by assembly and implemented by an
  accountable board.
practice: >-
  The family-as-member structure is what makes an ikastola cooperative,
  not state. If families disengage and the board self-perpetuates, the
  form drifts toward ordinary school governance.