Judicial Blow to the Catalan Educational Establishment: Their Latest Plan Is 'Illegal'

Justice has halted the latest occurrence of the educational lobby in Catalonia. It involves learning by areas, a methodology that consists of grouping different subjects into a single thematic area. The measure can be useful in primary education, where knowledge is more general.

However, it is discouraged in later educational stages where knowledge is more demanding. This method had been applied in primary education, and now they wanted to transfer it to high school.

The secondary school teachers' union Aspepc-sps took it to court, considering that it violated the general education law in Spain. The High Court of Justice of Catalonia agreed, considering that the Generalitat's decree is "illegal."

It is an important victory for the educational community over the lobby and the governments that have been promoting school failure in Catalonia for years.

Failed Model

In this case, the merging of subjects not only detracted from the specific learning of each subject. It also forced specialized teachers to teach areas that were not theirs.

This methodology, now considered "illegal" by the courts, adds to the years and years of missteps in Catalan education. Like competency-based education, which bases the transmission of knowledge on the needs and motivations of the student. The result, Catalonia at the bottom of Spain and Europe in math and reading comprehension.

In fact, the merging of subjects and competency-based education are part of the same concept of modern education. This is how the Generalitat itself expressed it when defending the model: "It allows starting from situations close to the student, addressing the learning of the contents of the subjects that can be integrated into the areas in a transversal and globalized manner."

Hard Blow for Pedagogists

Professor and unionist Xavier Massó explains that the intention to apply learning by areas in high school is nothing more than the confirmation of a failure. It is, he says, "to lighten content and demands in each subsequent educational stage so that the shortcomings of the previous one don't come to light." It is part of "pedagogism," which is something like "legalizing counterfeit currency so as not to have to put its manufacturer in jail."

He warns that the massacre being prepared in high school would be the preliminary step for the definitive destruction of the university. "I understand that a renowned Catalan educational guru irrepressibly addicted to fraud is involved," he adds.

Like much of the educational community, this teacher hopes that the court's decision will serve to reflect and rethink the entire system. The foundations behind the educational failure in Catalonia are increasingly being pointed out. And according to this expert, the blow they have just received with the TSJC's ruling has been a very hard blow.