An unusual educational project has been launched in Madrid schools, focusing on the history and consequences of ETA’s activities. As part of this program, students learn about real stories of people whose families suffered from terrorist attacks, and discuss how society’s attitude toward this subject has changed over the last decades.
The organizers of the course, representatives of the association Ego Non, believe that such classes are essential to help young people develop a critical view of the country’s recent past. They emphasize the importance of remembering the victims and preventing both the distortion and the oblivion of historical facts. Special attention is given to how former ETA members and their supporters are perceived in modern society, as well as to how political forces such as Bildu are being integrated into government structures.
However, not all participants in the educational process have supported the initiative. Some teachers’ union representatives have expressed dissatisfaction that their views were not considered when the project was launched. According to them, the Madrid authorities are using schools to promote their own political agenda while restricting discussion of other important topics. Parent associations have also voiced doubts about the need for such lessons, noting that ETA ceased to exist more than ten years ago and that historical issues are already covered in the school curriculum.
Nevertheless, the organizers insist that young people should know how terrorism has affected the country’s life and why it is important to remember the victims. During the sessions, videos featuring stories from relatives of the deceased are shown, and the ongoing consequences still felt by many families are discussed. Special attention is given to the issue of convicted terrorists being transferred to prisons closer to the Basque Country, and the difficulty faced by victims’ families in coping with their loss when those responsible have not served their full sentence.
Students from two Madrid schools participated in the pilot sessions. According to the organizers, an open dialogue about the past and present of ETA will help prevent a repeat of tragic events and foster a sense of responsibility toward their country’s history among teenagers.
