In praise of excellence

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The Government has just approved the Royal Decrees regulating the teaching of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO). The issue has been in the press for the most picturesque reasons, such as the disappearance of a chronological study of History, or the much-vaunted emotional and feminist education that must permeate all areas, including the study of mathematics with a gender perspective. The bleeding disappearance of philosophical studies in ESO has also been repeatedly emphasized, as well as the dwindling to the point of starvation of the subject of Religion.

Each of these aspects is vital and worth taking into account when analyzing the present pedagogical reform. But there is one aspect that underlies the whole law and that has a great social impact. It is the option for an education that rejects demand and effort, which will inevitably lead to a decrease in the educational level of students, with all that this will imply for the society of the future.

The fact that there is no maximum number of failures (two so far) for a student to pass a course is not something anecdotal. Now it is the faculty who will decide if the student will be promoted to the next grade despite the number of failed grades. Obviously, it is clear to families and students that the law allows it and that the 'guilty party' for not promoting the student will not be the student for not studying, but the center, the teachers for not allowing it, being in their power to do so. In the same line run the euphemisms by which a student will not 'repeat' course but 'remain' in it. Or the elimination of remedial exams.

In the background there is a pedagogical mentality of not stigmatizing the student. This is accompanied by a social approach that is highly worrying, which is that no one takes responsibility for what they do. The guilty parties are always others. It is always someone else who has to solve my problems. Ultimately, of course, that other person who has to look after my welfare is the State.

An adult is someone who assumes responsibility for what he or she does. But it seems that we live in a society of adolescents and that this model will be perpetuated with this educational proposal.

We are moving towards a society where there is a growing gap between people who have received two types of education. On the one hand we will find those who opt for an education that with effort makes them bring out the best in young people, that forms free, autonomous, adult men. And on the other hand, an education based on a downward egalitarianism that makes them remain in their mediocrity, which is the proposal of our current leaders in this educational reform.

There will be schools that will accept a request from those parents who are looking for the demand and effort for their children, and others, forced by the Government with its inspection teams at the head, that will opt for an education in which everyone passes the course, in which nothing happens.

With Pedro Salinas I can only remember that he who loves, the good educator, is not satisfied with the mediocrity of the loved one, but wants him to bring out the best version of himself, even if it costs him, even if it hurts.

Forgive me for searching for you
so clumsily, inside you
you.

Forgive me the pain sometime.
It's just that I want to bring out
out of you your best you.

The one that you didn't see and that I see,
swimming through your bottom, very precious.
And take it
and have it high up like the tree has
the tree has the last light
that has found the sun.

And then you
would come in search of him, up high.
To reach him
climbing over you, as I love you,
touching only your past
with the pink tips of your feet,
your whole body in tension, already ascending
from you to yourself.

And may my love then be answered by
the new creature that you are.

Pedro Salinas. La voz a ti debida. 1933

RelatedTeachers of hopeWe need heroes