Historical-political background of the agreement establishing the Spanish-British integrated curriculum

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to analyse the key political aspects that led to the signing of the collaboration agreement in 1996, for the development of an integrated curriculum between the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and the British Council. Methodology: An exhaustive historical approximation will be undertaken throughout the 20th century. The latter period leading to the agreement has been hardly studied, compelling us to conduct archive searches in Spain and the United Kingdom. Results: The analysis allows the identification of five factors that were present in the historical path towards the agreement: the strategic function of the Council in maintaining British influence in Spain during a period in which official relations were constrained by the dictatorship; the fundamental role that the British Council School played within the structure of the British Council in Spain; the limited importance attributed throughout decades to the teaching of foreign languages in the education system; the political evolution of the system since its international opening during the 1960s and the constitutional period; and the personal endeavours of certain key actors. Discussion: For a long time, the possibility of bilingual education in English and Spanish was reserved to the privileged classes. Nevertheless, the agreement provided opportunities to those who, if it wasn't for these programs, would have never been able to access bilingual education. To address the political instrumentalisation of bilingual education, further research is necessary to assess if it is time to bring it to all of the schools and under what conditions.

Keywords: British Council, Bilingual Education, Educational Policy, International Relations, Cultural diplomacy, English Teachers.