It is the time for changes, promises, proposals, debates… It’s election time!
One of the most important issues that must be dealt with in this election campaign is Education. To begin with, I will give you some information that I think is important. On the one hand, according to the latest PISA report, Spain is the 7th country out of the 33 OECD countries that spend the most money on education , however when it comes to academic results, we are in 27th place . Education in Spain is at a very low level when compared with other OECD countries . This indicates that there is a problem that needs to be corrected. And not only in primary and secondary schools. As we can see in the international rankings, we do not find any Spanish universities among the 200 best in the world. However, we can find Spanish business schools (IESE and ESADE), among the top institutions in the world which indicates that the problem lies within our education system.
Now we have identified the problem, let’s start looking for solutions. One of the main problems of our education system is that we have forgotten about «education» in the broader sense of the word and have focused too much on «qualifications» This has created a society where the number of people with university degrees is growing year by year, while at the same time we are less able to wait for our turn to speak during a debate. Everyday good manners such as greeting other people when entering a place or respecting different opinions from our own are becoming increasingly less common.We have become obsessed with qualifications , diplomas and certificates. The general consensus is that if you do not have a university degree you are doomed when it comes to finding work. Furthermore, the most prestigious university professors have seen an alarming drop in the academic level in our universities. Moreover, in many professions there are unacceptable levels of unemployment which in the past simply did not exist. This has to change immediately. If the supply of graduates is potentially greater than the demand for them, the end result is that a large number of these professionals will not be employed in their chosen field.
As to how we can improve education and training, I believe that it is fundamental to take into account sport and everything that sport represents. Sport is knowing what your limits are but at the same time also trying to exceed them. Sport is striving to be better every day but not at any price – always holding onto your values and principles. Sport is seeking excellence; it means pushing yourself and challenging yourself as well as your opponents. Sport is culture and multiculturalism; it is respect for your team, your opponents, the judges and everybody else involved, whether they be spectators or participants. Sport is universality. Your country, your race, your political or religious ideology and your economic situation- none of this matters in the world of sport. The starting shot is fired and the winner is he or she wins who finishes first. Sport is sacrifice, it is a constant battle, it is self- improvement, it is the daily struggle to be the best . Spanish sport is all that and at the same time is successful both inside and outside our borders.
Let’s build a new education system based on the wider meaning of the word and not merely on results. Let us build an education system which follows the example of sport. Let’s build an education system where success does not depend on what you know but on how you think. It doesn’t depend on who gets the best results but on who devotes time and dedication. Let us build an education system in which our teachers have a voice and vote and once again recognize the importance of having quality teachers in Spanish classrooms.
Let’s build our future.Let’s build our education. Let’s build our success