Unprecedented common front of humanities and science teachers: "Changes in high school must be logical."

BarcelonaConcern over possible changes to the Catalan baccalaureate curriculum continues to grow. In fact, it has led to something unprecedented. For the first time in recent educational history in Catalonia, associations and platforms of teachers from various fields—Catalan language, Spanish language, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and philosophy—have joined forces to demand that the Department of Education listen to them and take them into account when making changes.

"We demand real dialogue. We teachers are the ones teaching and we understand what is happening in the classrooms and the needs of the students," insisted Marc Martínez, a physics and chemistry teacher and representative of the platform Ciencias en Peligro (Sciences in Danger). This Wednesday, the association, together with the groups CAT Teachers, Philosophy Teachers, and CAT-CAST Teachers, presented a united manifesto urging the department to open a "real negotiation" in which the curriculum changes can be addressed "in a democratic and participatory manner."

Representatives of the various humanities and science teacher platforms have explained that, in one way or another, they have spoken with the department, but that when it comes down to it, they are not taken into account when making decisions. In this case, regarding the changes to the high school curriculum that Catalonia must implement to adapt to a request from the Spanish government. A modification that includes, among other things, the merging of physics and chemistry into a single subject (and also biology and geology). "Too often, curricular changes have been made without our participation; now is the time to ensure it because without what we can contribute, the result will be worse," they defend in the joint manifesto. "Changes to the high school curriculum must be logical," Martínez insisted.

Lace is possible

Each teaching group has different demands regarding the high school curriculum: while Catalan, Spanish, and philosophy teachers are calling for the recovery of the hours their subjects have lost following various curriculum reforms, science teachers insist on halting the idea of merging their subjects. Be that as it may, the various groups point out that a common front must be met and that a "combination" between what each group demands is possible.

In fact, some of the platforms have presented the Catalan government with several proposals for the distribution of hours in the high school curriculum that would restore three hours of Catalan, Spanish, and philosophy, and ensure that science classes would not lose hours. "In no case is this a confrontation between subjects," insisted the spokesperson for the philosophy teachers, Laia Cos, who urged the department to "view the curriculum as a whole."

In the same vein, the representative of Docents CAT-CAST (which encompasses the demands of Catalan teachers, but also of Spanish), Susana Tercero, has stated that the department's work "is not only to plan the hours, but also the quality of education, since each generation has different needs."

Pending a possible response from Educació, the spokespersons for the three teaching groups have indicated that, if their demands are not met, they will organize new actions in the coming weeks.