Div Yezh Breizh

Div Yezh Breizh (Breton for "two languages") is a federation of parents' associations that advocates for bilingual Breton-French education in public schools, middle schools, and high schools across the five departments of historic Brittany. Founded in 1979 under the name APEEB (Association des Parents d'Elèves pour l'Enseignement du Breton), the organization has been a driving force behind the establishment and development of bilingual Breton-French streams in the French public education system. It operates within the framework of the French Ministry of Education and a specific State-Region agreement for the transmission of Breton languages. The federation brings together over 11,000 students from kindergarten to high school in public schools, where instruction is delivered 50% in French and 50% in Breton, following the official national curriculum. Div Yezh Breizh also supports optional Breton language classes. It provides expertise to families on the rights of students and parents throughout the schooling process and serves as a key interlocutor with the educational community. With a network of around one hundred local associations, it represents parents who share common values for family rights to access and quality learning of the Breton language. Div Yezh Breizh is a non-profit association governed by the French law of 1901. Its registered office is in Rostrenen, with administrative offices in Cavan. It is primarily funded by the Regional Council of Brittany and the departments of Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, and Morbihan. In 2022, it had 1,700 members. The organization is led by a board of directors elected by an annual general assembly. In 2022, Eddy Penven replaced Remi Toulhoat as president. The federation actively defends the teaching of and in Breton in free, secular public schools. It monitors the State's commitments regarding Breton education, particularly under the 2022 State-Region convention. In 2024, it initiated a citizen action and subsequently took legal action before the administrative court to compel the State to honor its commitments. It also created a Youth Council in late 2024 to promote and defend Breton-language education. Div Yezh Breizh is a member of various departmental, regional, and national bodies, including the Academic Councils of Regional Languages in Rennes and Nantes, the Public Office of the Breton Language, and the Federation for Regional Languages in Public Education (FLAREP). Breton is classified by UNESCO as a seriously endangered language. Div Yezh Breizh continues to work for its preservation and transmission through the public education system, advocating for the rights of families to access quality bilingual education.

Div Yezh Breizh was founded in 1979 under the name APEEB (Association des Parents d'Elèves pour l'Enseignement du Breton). It is a non-profit association under the French law of 1901. In 1982, Alain Savary, then Minister of National Education, authorized the opening of bilingual French-regional language classes. That autumn, the first bilingual French-Breton class opened in Brittany at Saint-Rivoal. From the start of the 1983 school year, other classes opened in Rennes and Lannion. Since then, enrollment and the number of classes have continued to grow. In 1994, Paul Molac joined the network as a member to campaign for the opening of a bilingual class in his commune of Ploërmel. He served as president for 10 years from 2001 to 2012, until his campaign to become a deputy. Paul Molac was the rapporteur of a law for the generalization of regional language teaching, adopted on 8 April 2021, known as the "Molac law". The network sued the French State for non-application of the law in a procedure launched in 2023. In 1995, APEEB became the association Div Yezh, and in 2015 it became Div Yezh Breizh, as the number of local associations continued to increase. In 2022, a convention "for the transmission of the languages of Brittany" was signed by the Prime Minister. That same year, Remi Toulhoat was replaced by Eddy Penven at the head of Div Yezh Breizh. In 2024, it grouped around one hundred local parents' associations. In 2025, Div Yezh Breizh and the association Kelennomp filed a complaint against the State: they believe the convention signed by the State is not being respected. Div Yezh Breizh is a non-profit association governed by the French law of 1901. It brings together 108 local associations, created following the opening of bilingual French-Breton classes in public schools. It is directed by a board of directors. An annual general assembly elects the board and defines the association's orientations. Its registered office is in Rostrenen and its administrative offices are in Cavan. It is essentially funded by the Regional Council of Brittany and the departments of Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, and Morbihan. In 2022, the association had 1,700 members. The association promotes equal teaching of French and Breton. The bilingual Breton-French classes of Div Yezh are integrated into existing public schools of the National Education system. In his thesis, Gwenole Larvol notes the frequently misused term "Divyezh school" to designate bilingual streams in public education within traditional public schools. Teaching is 50% in French and 50% in Breton. Breton is not a separate course but is used to teach various subjects of the curriculum. For example, geography is taught in Breton with local examples prioritized. Reading is first learned in French and then in Breton. Primary teachers are trained at the INSPÉ of Saint-Brieuc or Brest. For secondary, the CAPES or agrégation exams are taken in Breton. Two other streams teach Breton in schools: Divaskell (formerly Dihun) offers Breton in private Catholic schools; Diwan schools are associative immersive schools where all courses are in Breton. The federation Div Yezh acts to defend the teaching of and in Breton in free, secular public schools. It acts in the interest of students, to facilitate their schooling, for example by defending the translation of brevet exam subjects into Breton. It monitors the State's commitments regarding education of and in Breton, within the framework of the 2022 State-Region convention. It began a citizen action in 2024 and then before the administrative court to compel the State to respect its commitments regarding regional language learning. It also works to promote Breton-speaking youth. For example, in late 2024 it created a Youth Council responsible for promoting and defending education of and in Breton. It is also a member of various departmental, regional, and national bodies such as the Academic Councils of Regional Languages of Rennes and Nantes, the Public Office of the Breton Language, and the Federation for Regional Languages in Public Education (FLAREP). Breton is classified by UNESCO as seriously endangered. In 2024 there were a little over 100,000 speakers.

• 2025

  Div Yezh Breizh and Kelennomp file a complaint against the State for non-respect of the convention.

• 2024

  Groups around one hundred local associations; initiates citizen action and legal proceedings; creates a Youth Council.

• 2023

  The network sues the French State for non-application of the Molac law.

• 2022

  A State-Region convention 'for the transmission of the languages of Brittany' is signed; Eddy Penven replaces Remi Toulhoat as president.

• 2021

  The 'Molac law' for the generalization of regional language teaching is adopted on 8 April.

• 2015

  Renamed Div Yezh Breizh as local associations grow.

• 2001

  Paul Molac becomes president (serves until 2012).

• 1995

  APEEB becomes the association Div Yezh.

• 1994

  Paul Molac joins the network to campaign for a bilingual class in Ploërmel.

• 1983

  Additional bilingual classes open in Rennes and Lannion.

• 1982

  First bilingual French-Breton class opens in Brittany at Saint-Rivoal after ministerial authorization.

• 1979

  Founded as APEEB (Association des Parents d'Elèves pour l'Enseignement du Breton).

A non-profit federation advocating for bilingual Breton-French education within the French public education system, emphasizing equal status for both languages and the preservation of Breton.

• Bilingual Breton-French education

  Integrated streams in public schools where instruction is 50% French and 50% Breton, following the national curriculum.

• Optional Breton classes

  Breton language courses offered as an option in public schools.

• Parental rights advocacy

  Expertise and support for families regarding the rights of students and parents throughout schooling.

• Legal advocacy

  Legal actions against the State for non-compliance with language education commitments.

• Citizen action for Breton language education
• Youth Council

1. 1Accueil - div yezh Breizhdiv-yezh.bzh
2. 2Div Yezh Breizh - Wikipediafr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Wikidatawikidata.org