Diwan (school)

Diwan (pronounced [ˈdiwɑ̃n]; "seed" in Breton) is a federation of Breton-medium schools in Brittany.

The Diwan concept, which allows children to learn French and Breton through language immersion, was inspired by the Gaelscoileanna movement in Ireland, the Ikastolak movement in the Basque Country, and the Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin movement in Wales, the Calandreta schools in Occitania and La Bressola schools of Northern Catalonia. However, as Diwan educates up to the age of eighteen its schools are more like Welsh-medium education schools in Wales.

From ages two to six, Breton is the sole language of instruction. At the age of seven and a half, French is introduced during two out of twenty-six school hours. When the students are ten, French (six hours out of twenty-three) is taught at the same level as Breton. This remains the same when they reach middle school, but English and a choice of Spanish or German are taught in addition.

The first Diwan school was created by a few parents in 1977 at Lampaul-Ploudalmézeau (Breton: Lambaol-Gwitalmeze) near Brest, because the centralized French state schools were unwilling to offer the Breton language in the curriculum. The initial nursery school was followed by the first primary school in 1980, the first collège in 1988 and the first lycée in 1994.

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