The leader of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, has proposed a major political, social, and technical pact for a team of experts to lead the Department of Education for a decade, thus setting aside the partisan struggle and the professional bad blood in which the system has become mired. In the middle of August, the proposal has all the makings of passing without a ripple. The school year will probably start again in September with strikes. And the results of the botched PISA test will be made public. In other words, we will remain stuck in educational defeatism, which is the sure path to failure as a country. Does anyone else have any ideas to break the vicious cycle and enter a virtuous one?
After a frustrating school year, this summer has been one of great disconnection for teachers. Don't talk to them about work. When the time comes, they'll get back to it. Many will find it hard to put their hearts into it, of course. They'll do what they can. And he who passes days, bad vibes push. The educational crisis is global, but the Catalan version is championship material. Who would have thought, coming from such a brilliant tradition, from the drive of the pioneers of the 1920s and 30s to the optimistic moments of pedagogical renewal in the 1960s or the democratic recovery with linguistic normalization. Will we be able to, now, throw all this into the dustbin of history and throw in the towel?
We already see where the practice of mutual recriminations has led us. He who has no garlic has an onion: I mean that everyone has made mistakes, inside and outside the classroom, in the ministry and in the unions, in homes (where education also takes place) and in universities (where education is thought about). The result is perfectly describable. We are going backwards, like crabs. In knowledge, in coexistence, in a lack of engaging projects, in a loss of vocations, in less equity (equal opportunities) and less excellence (fewer opportunities for talent).
It is therefore imperative to propose a radical shake-up. To risk. To change. If we continue to manage the conflict as we have done so far, seeking confrontation or circumventing it, we will not succeed. We will muddle through, which in this context will mean undoing. Another school year will pass without a ripple, with everyone disappointed and angry. And at the same time, with everyone aware that we are not doing well. Well, this is the most plausible path: not because it is easy, but due to false prudence or outright cowardice. Immobile mediocrity is a very powerful force that usually imposes itself by the non-appearance of optimistic audacity.
I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of the Minister of Education, Esther Niubó. All the ministers of recent years have been burned. I also wouldn't want to be in the shoes of many teachers or many principals. The problem is big. The agreements with the unions at the end of the school year, rejected by the teachers' assemblies, but applied nonetheless, have meant a more than notable injection of money into the system, most of it to improve salaries. And yet, everyone remains unhappy and everyone knows that this will not serve to turn things around and start anew. It is clear that resources are important, but they are not everything.
What else is needed? Well, to start with, give ourselves a break, calm things down. And from there, generate a climate of trust to address the big issues. The key questions are: How do we make the education system inclusive of diversity without having to lower the average level? Should we have inclusive schools, or is it the system that needs to be inclusive? (Yes, perhaps it's time to reintroduce specialized centers.) How do we give autonomy to public schools and institutes, and stability to the teams, so they can develop their own projects? (Yes, I think flexibility needs to be introduced into the civil service system.) How can we promote the leadership of the management without ceasing to involve the faculty councils? How should we incentivize good teachers to go to centers of high complexity? (Yes, I think, among other things, they should be paid more.) How can families be re-engaged and helped to take an active role in their children's education and in collaboration with schools? How can we re-instill in boys and girls the culture of effort, and the ambition and joy of learning? How should we do it so that every neighborhood, town, and city wants to have the best school? How can we all get excited again about the education of our children and young people?
