Chapter 7. Do Basque schools create Basque nationalists?. The history syllabus in a divided society

Resumen

It is usual to consider that education, and the teaching of history within it, plays a significant role in the dissemination of national identity among young people. Based on this idea, the objective of this article is to think about the greater or lesser importance of the teaching of history as a shaping element of the national identity among the current Basque youth. For this, within the different aspects that can be treated with regard to this topic, this paper analyses what history is established in the official educational curriculum approved by the Basque regional educational institutions. In the first section of this chapter, the criticism made from the conservative political and media field about the Basque educational system, in which the idea of "indoctrination" has been used regularly, is presented. Secondly, the characteristics of the history contents established in the Basque Country for Secondary Education are offered. And, thirdly, the national identification of the Basque youth in recent decades is analyzed. If it is accepted that the Basque school was as indoctrinating as mentioned in various places, it seeks to verify the success it could achieve in this area.