La Calandreta Lo Cigal

An independent Occitan school, a free association.

Founded in 2007, the CALANDRETA LO CIGAL opened its doors at the start of the 2007 school year. There are at least twenty children from the youngest in the infant's school to CE2, who, every day, take the route to learn language in an "alternative" way. Established in the old premises of Bize railway station, the CALANDRETA LO CIGAL enjoys space and tranquillity. The school meals and extracurricular nursery provide a necessary service for families at work. Now, two regents (teachers) and a nursery assistant open up daily.

All parents, who may be interested in enrolling their child or children in the future, can meet the teachers.

In its initial phase, at the start of 2007, the association (a group focussed on the community and beyond) put together a provisional budget and searched for locations in the canton. Today the school welcomes children from the Community of the Communes of the Canal du Midi in the Minervois, as well as from neighbouring areas. In trusting their children to an Occitan school, it is a chance for the locals to relive their roots and, for the new arrivals, to establish their presence in their adopted land. There is always the concern to promote and maintain the Occitan culture, as well as passing it on to future generations.

The inauguration.

The children sang in Occitan.

The evening began with an inaugural spectacle with songs in Occitan, performed by some of the children of Calandreta Lo Cigal.

At the close, the councillors and leaders took stock of what had happened. In particular, Natalie Lechat, vice-president of the association of the Calandreta Lo Cigal, declared, "The school wishes to integrate into the activities of the association and local culture."

The mayor, Alain Fabre, hailed the birth of this new school in the area of the commune. "This is our identity, our roots, our culture, our heritage. It is important that parents, who wish to give their children an identity and who come to our region, can have access to our Occitan culture." The mayor of Bize announced the recent acquisition by the commune of land near the site, a part of which will be set aside for the new school.

Mr. Fabre, Blenet, Lebegue et Assié.

The regional leaders highlighted the status of the Occitan schools in the Occitan area. The opening of the Bize school is the 17th school in the region, after Limoux and Sigean. The current pace of expansion is one opening per year. These results are encouraging for the defenders of the local language. Mr. Lebegue and Mr. Blenet hope for two new schools to be opened each year "to achieve 15-20% of pupils educated in these establishments, the threshold on which the linguists unanimously agree is needed to save a culture and language."

From Thursday, November 20th 2008, a group for adults to learn Occitan was set up in Bize-Minervois by the Centre for Professional Occitan Groups in Beziers (CFPO Lengadoc). The courses take place on Thursdays from 18.00 to 19.30.

These lessons are open, on the one hand, to those who do not speak the language and wish to learn Occitan, both to read and write it, or to follow the education of their children. On the other hand, they are open to those, who already speak the language and wish to discuss and speak in Occitan, to use the language of their origins, or to discover features of this culture. Throughout the year, the "setmanièrs" are courses in Occitan provided by the CFPO, where one can discover different aspects of the Occitan culture and language.

These courses take place at the Occitan school Lo Cigal, Avenue de la gare.

Enquiries and enrolment at the school or by telephone  04 67 28 75 36 or 04 68 90 65 99.

Special thanks to our translator, Sue Ackloo.

Last Updated (Tuesday, 16 February 2010 07:50)