Bilingual And Intercultural Border Schools Project (PEBIF): A Cross-Border And Integrativa Project In The Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

The internationalization of education is one of two priority objectives of educational institutions, as it is considered of strategic importance for their development and project. However, this concept does not allow us to adequately understand the collaboration that occurs in educational matters between neighboring countries, particularly in border areas where this cooperation enables constant exchanges, shared professional experiences, joint activities, cross-border collaborations. The border between Spain and Portugal has these characteristics. The “Bilingual and Intercultural Schools of Frontera Project”/Projeto Escolas Bilíngues e Interculturais de Fronteira (PEBIF) is a proposal that seeks an intercultural education supported by bi/plurilingualism and intercompreensão. The general objective of the project is to promote cooperation between Spain and Portugal in the educational, social and economic development of border territories, through the creation of a network of schools that provide the population with knowledge and skills associated with bilingualism and interculturality, relevant to citizenship, for then two studies and for the employability in both countries. This article presents the PEBIF project, both in its structuring theoretical principles and in the implementation carried out, in addition to two most relevant results obtained at that time.