The president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonesappeared this Wednesday in Parliament, in an extraordinary manner and altering the agenda, to announce that he will call the matches after analyzing Catalonia’s poor results in the PISA report. The objective is to move forward with the support of the chamber the measures announced by the Minister of Education, Anna Simó, to try to reverse what the leader herself has admitted is a “educational crisis”. The opposition has thanked the president for summoning them, but they have accused him of go late” and they have disgraced him for not having sought that consensus previously. The head of the opposition has been especially belligerent, Salvador Illawhich has asked the Government to put on hold these measures and first seek agreement with the rest of the groups.
A week after the publication of the PISA results, which the president has unequivocally recognized as “bad”Aragonès has discarded the “excuses”, has assured that education is one of his “priorities” and has defended that his Government assumes all “responsibilities” to reverse this situation. A few words to settle the controversy over the attribution that the department initially made to the “overrepresentation” of immigrant students in the sample, a statement that was later rejected and labeled an “error.”
For the president of the Generalitat, the response should not involve a policy of “electroshocks” nor “superficial measures to cover the file”, but has ensured that the educational community need “stability” and that there are no constant political changes. For this reason, he has called on the groups to put aside “partisanship” and seek the “maximum consensus.” Even so, he has assured that it is necessary to be “willing to make changes“and he has assured that his Government is brave and that it will be “brave.” Something that he has also asked of the rest of the groups.
The Government’s measures
In this sense, the Government has valued the measures announced by Minister Anna Simó, who has assured that they respond to the conclusions approved by the Parliament during the monographic debate on education held last June. These involve reaching a pact of “resilient” educational policies, with “economic resources” to “reverse the fundamental cuts” and that lasts “a minimum of two legislatures.” It also includes a “country commitment” with the rest of the parliamentary groups and a pact “with the local world” to work for free children from 0 to 3 years.
Among the other measures that are part of the plan outlined by the Government to reverse the situation, are the “enrichment” of extracurricular activities, a “global improvement in teacher training”, more “providing resources” for classrooms. reception, a plan to “reduce” school dropouts – with the objective of reaching 10% – as well as the “recovery of learning in reading and mathematical skills” and also the “empowerment of affective-sexual education, co-education and the prevention of bullying”.
Criticism of the opposition
The leader of the opposition, Salvador Illahas confirmed that he will attend the meeting called by Aragonès, although he has issued a challenge to the president: “If you want us to do it together, put on hold the measures announced by Minister Simó until we speak with the Government.” The socialists repeat like a mantra that the executive sins of not taking into account their minority and try to promote measures without having sufficient support from the opposition, something that, in his opinion, has happened again with this crisis.
His will, the PSC leader has said, is “constructive” given the evidence that the direction of education “not going well” and that “doing nothing is not an option.” Illa has warned that we must act “without haste” being aware that “great transformations are made gradually” and that centers must be debureaucratized and teachers involved. Junts has also delved into this new front that has been opened to the Executiu and has demanded a “rectification.” The president of the group in Parliament, Albert Batethas advocated for a “country pact” like the one that was woven in its day to build the Catalan educational system. “Structural measures are needed,” she stressed.
The CUP and the Comuns have also confirmed that they will be involved in the summit, but without sparing a harsh speech against the Government. Deputy Carles Riera has opted to reverse the cuts, invest 6% of the budget in education, more resources for inclusive schools and lower the ratios. Jessica AlbiachFor his part, he has criticized the president’s eight days of “silence” and his “desperate attempt to try to cover up the criticism”, and has attacked the segregation that, in his opinion, is produced by the double network of public and charter schools. and has pointed out as a problem the “sacralization” of screensof education through projects and skills, in addition to considering that books and memorizing have been “undervalued.”
“Return to basic”
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In a previous parliamentary question, Councilor Simó had already defended that the Catalan educational system does not need a “shock plan”, but rather “reinforce” subjects such as mathematics and language, as well as reading comprehension: “We have to go back to the basics”, he blurted out. In his opinion, the solution does not happen “for more hours”, although he has not developed what his project would consist of. Yes, he has defended that the measures that he has put on the table They don’t come out of a “hat”but are the result of the work that the department has done since the beginning of the legislature and the monographic plenary session that was held in Parliament.
According to the PISA report, Catalonia is the second community (the first is the city of Melilla) that the most points you have lost in math. It has lost up to 21 points between 2018 and 2022. In addition, this report, which analyzes the school level in more than 80 countries, also points out that Catalonia is losing steam in reading and science comprehensionmatters that place it at the bottom of Spain and below the OECD average.