More than 12,000 university staff and secondary school teachers have signed a petition defending the integrity of PAU exam correctors at the University of the Basque Country (EHU). The petition responds to a surge of legal appeals by students who failed this year’s Basque language exam, resulting in several court-ordered suspensions of their grades. The signatories argue that these legal actions threaten the credibility of the public education system in the Basque Country.
The controversy followed a large number of zero marks in the Basque language section of the 2026 university entrance exam, particularly among students from concerted schools following Model A, where Basque is not the principal language of instruction. Families challenged the results in court, and one examiner reportedly assigned the overwhelming majority of the zeros. A subsequent second correction raised grades, although the improvements were generally limited. The dispute also prompted questions about whether candidates from Model A schools should be distributed more evenly among examination panels.
At a press conference at the Bizkaia Aretoa, leading figures behind the petition, including Lore Erriondo, a professor at the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology, and Iñigo Urrutia, a professor at the Faculty of Law and the university ombudsman, read a manifesto expressing their “concern and indignation” over the situation. Supported by around 2,000 university staff and thousands more secondary and high school teachers, the document accuses the legal challenges of undermining both EHU and the wider Basque public education system.
The manifesto criticizes protests outside EHU buildings and public questioning of the correctors’ work, warning that such actions could set a dangerous precedent. It also describes the courts’ willingness to suspend grades as a “privilege” that risks eroding trust in academic procedures. The signatories say they feel abandoned by institutions, particularly the Basque government, which had previously described the families’ concerns as legitimate after it emerged that a single examiner had issued a large number of failing grades.
The legal status of the marks has since shifted. The Tribunal Superior de Justicia del País Vasco annulled precautionary measures that had temporarily suspended disputed grades. Those interim measures had enabled at least one student to secure a place at EHU, leading the university to create an additional place; the student could now lose it. The ruling concerned the temporary measures and did not, by itself, settle whether the underlying correction was fair. Separately, on 29 June 2026, a Basque court ruled that the Euskara mark in the PAU should not count toward university enrolment.
Despite suspicions of inconsistent grading, the manifesto maintains that all established procedures were strictly followed and that every review mechanism was activated to ensure fairness and equal treatment for all students. It calls for respect for the institution and its professionals, emphasizing EHU’s commitment to transparency and professional standards in its public service. Staff also voice concern about the future, asking who will be willing to serve as a PAU corrector next year in the current climate.
The Basque Parliament rejected a proposal for an external audit of the concentration of zero marks. Introduced by the Partido Popular in June, the proposal became part of a politically divided debate: EH Bildu’s Ikoitz Arrese defended EHU’s rectoral team and said the controversy was being used to fuel a “reactionary wave” against Basque, while PNV representative Ainara Zelaia described the admissions process as guaranteed and called for closer cooperation among institutions. The parliamentary decision did not end the court proceedings or determine whether the disputed marks were valid. The Basque Government and EHU have also set up a joint working group to improve university access, with examination-panel organization among the issues under discussion.
During the event, Erriondo said the PAU, like any evaluation system, can be improved by changing exam organization and teacher training, including through adjustments to teaching methods. She warned, but, that recent confrontational attitudes could jeopardize progress made in recent decades, particularly the widespread adoption of the Basque language immersion model in schools. The model, now dominant in Euskadi, has recently come under scrutiny, with some voices, including within the Basque language advocacy community, raising concerns about its effects on language quality and the academic development of Spanish-speaking students.
The dispute at EHU reflects broader tensions in Spain’s education sector, where legal challenges and public protests over exam results have become more frequent. In a related development, a recent case in Valencia saw authorities respond to public outcry over alleged fraud, highlighting the growing willingness of individuals and families to seek judicial remedies in disputes with public institutions. The Basque exam controversy raises questions about students’ rights and institutional autonomy, as well as the stability of Spain’s public education system.
The PAU (Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad) is a standardized university entrance exam required across Spain, with regional variations such as the Basque language component in Euskadi. EHU (Universidad del País Vasco) is the basic public university in the Basque Country and is basic to regional education policy. Disputes over exam grading are not new, but the scale of this year’s legal challenges and the resulting institutional backlash mark a impressive escalation. The outcome may influence future exam protocols and educators’ willingness to take part in high-stakes assessments, with consequences for the broader debate over language policy in Basque schools.
