The formulas of four former ministers to revive the educational system

BarcelonaThe need to review teacher training and the way child poverty and rising complexity in classrooms are addressed have centered the debate in the first of the meetings promoted by Pimec on education, which has featured the voices of four former ministers of the sector: Irene Rigau, Anna Simó, Meritxell Ruiz, and Ernest Maragall. In the midst of a social debate and with a national debate underway to redefine the Catalan educational model –dynamited by the error in the PISA tests, but fueled by the protests by teachers and families in the last year–, all four have agreed that it is necessary to "shield education" from different political cycles to guarantee the country's future, since the educational system is a cradle for new generations and, therefore, for facing future economic and social transformations. This, of course, always "guided by the evaluation" of results.

Rigau, who was minister between 2010 and 2016, has argued that the quality of the system "is measured by the quality of the teaching staff" and has considered that the "great pending subject" is to address the university training of future teachers. In this sense, she has assured that one of the main problems is the "commitment" of the university to this training and has urged the administration to "dare" to develop the teaching career. In this sense, she referred to the current controversy over the pressure measure of not holding school camps and field trips by teachers and the responses the administration is giving. Thus, she argued that the solution does not imply paying for overnight stays, but rather that the act of going on school camps should count towards the teaching career. According to Rigau, this is an issue "that cannot be dealt with the unions" but must be addressed with the school boards.

In a similar vein, Ruiz –minister between January 2016 and July 2017– has argued that everything else is articulated based on teaching quality and has stated that both initial and continuing teacher training should be "reviewed from top to bottom." In the same vein, she defended the autonomy of schools, pedagogical leadership, and evaluation as key elements to improve educational quality. An opinion also expressed by Simó, who was minister between June 2023 and August 2024, and who agreed to point out the importance of initial training and mentoring, and valued the promotion of a teacher mentoring program, like an educational MIR, during her time at the head of the ministry. For his part, Maragall has stated that a "deep review" is needed in this area and has assured that it was one of the "battles" they undertook during his tenure, between 2006 and 2010.

Beyond training, the former ministers have also reflected on the fact that school is a reflection of society and the effects of current child poverty and the increase in complexity in the classroom. In this sense, Simó has assured that for her, child poverty is "the main structural problem" of the educational system, accompanied by the lack of equity, school segregation, and inequalities. She added that the PISA results also go in this direction, since she has suggested that the countries with the best results are more homogeneous countries, without so many inequalities. Furthermore, she stressed that basic skills must be strengthened, as well as adapting vocational training planning to territorial needs.

Maragall wondered whether the problem lies with education or society, and if it is society that sends problems to school without providing the appropriate tools to address them correctly. "The underlying issue is complexity," he stated. Rigau acknowledged the current difficulties and recalled the limited scope for decision-making in Catalonia regarding educational matters, but she argued that "to educate is to sow" and opted to add a touch of optimism, believing that the efforts made every day in classrooms will bear fruit in the future. Regarding the educational debate, the four former ministers also agreed on demanding stability in policies and defended the implementation of the Law of Education of Catalonia (LEC). In fact, Simó pointed out the need to develop national pacts "based on work already done" and rejected the idea of taking reports previously prepared only to leave them "in a drawer".

Niubó defends stability

At the closing of the conference, the current Minister of Education, Esther Niubó, defended precisely the importance of "stability" and the debate promoted by the Government to reach a country agreement. Thus, she highlighted the will of the Education Council of Catalonia to promote concrete actions based on listening and the needs of the system. However, she admitted that solid learning must be guaranteed for all students and this is also related to teacher training.

For his part, the president of Pimec, Antoni Cañete, claimed education as the best investment for a country's future, arguing that the societies that progress are those that train people with knowledge and critical capacity. "This is not about payrolls, it is about providing centers with resources and being able to make an offer that is what the system needs," he stated. In this sense, he warned that digitalization, Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence are transforming production models and the relationship between employment, productivity and wages, and he assured that only countries that decisively bet on knowledge will be able to lead these changes. For this reason, he demanded to give prestige to the teaching profession and provide educational centers with the necessary resources to offer training adapted to the needs of the labor market.