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POINT
José Saturnino Martínez García
Professor of Sociology, University of La Laguna
Efficiency, equality, and education policy
There are two sets of indicators that we must improve within the Spanish education system: those related to qualifications and those related to skill levels. The countries with the best results in education are those that better compensate for a lack of equal opportunities based on social background. We need to resolve the “black hole” of Spanish qualifications that is advanced secondary education. Half of the dropouts from the education system can be attributed to the fact that pupils have not achieved their compulsory ESO qualification, and cannot go on to study post-compulsory courses of any kind.
COUNTERPOINT
José Antonio Marina
Philosopher, Essayist, and Teacher
A better education system is possible within five years
Leaving aside the university system, it is possible for the basic education system in Spain to achieve high performance levels within five years on an education budget at pre-crisis levels: just above 5 percent of GDP. The problem isn’t to do with money but with management. The following is a list of seven essential actions: economic investment, establishing efficient management teams, giving greater independence to education centers, resolving the problem of vocational training once and for all, ensuring that no pupil is left behind, and involving society as a whole in the renewal of the education system.