In the contemporary educational sphere, criticisms of public school teachers are recurring, questioning them for their adhesion to traditional methods that seem anchored in the past. This criticism, however, must be examined in the light of a set of factors that go beyond the mere teaching update.
The roots of traditional methods in classrooms are not only due to the lack of teacher training, but to a set of structural conditions that determine the educational environment. First, there is the overcrowding of students in the classroom, regulated by the nefarious Decree 3020 (of December 10, 2002) that in its article 11 it deals with the number of students per teacher and indicates: «For the location of the teaching staff it will be reference that the average number of students per teacher in the territorial entity is as Minimum 32 in the urban area and 22 in the rural area.
For the fulfillment of the educational process, the territorial entities will locate the teaching staff of the institutions or the educational centers, according to the following parameters: preschool and primary basic education: a teacher per group. Basic Secondary and Middle Education Academic Education: 1.36 teachers per group. Technical Secondary Education: 1.7 teachers per group ».
The fact that there are a large number of students gathered in the same space with a single teacher in charge (the minimum of classroom is 32 students, but that figure can amount to 38, 40, 45 ...) creates a series of challenges significant for individualized care and the implementation of innovative educational methodologies:
- The teacher will not be able to provide personalized attention to each student, since trying to meet the varied needs and learning rhythms that exist in the classroom is overwhelming and impossible to achieve effectively.
- The overcrowding in classrooms limits opportunities for interaction and work in small groups, which are fundamental for the development of social skills, collaborative learning and the construction of significant relationships between students. Thus the time and space for activities that promote active participation and meaningful learning are reduced.
- The overcrowding in the classroom is a barrier for the implementation of innovative methodologies, since these require a more focused approach to the student, with personalized and differentiated activities that adapt to the individual needs and interests of each student.
And apart from the big problem that is overcrowding in classrooms, teachers face educating children and young people from the 21st century, who are immersed in a digital culture that has transformed the way they interact with the world and access information . This immersion in technology, although it offers opportunities for global learning and connection, also entails significant challenges, since excessive use of screens has resulted in fragmented attention and a decrease in the ability to concentrate students, which, which further complicates the teaching-learning process.
And this phenomenon is no accident, but is intrinsically linked to imperialist capitalism that has imposed accelerated production rhythms and superexploitation. The pressure to produce more in less time is reflected in the daily life of the students, who from an early age are exposed to a very stimulating and demanding environment, characterized by a constant search for efficiency and productivity.
In addition, the parents of our students are proletarians subject to precarious working conditions, more strenuous working hours, forced to meet many overtime to stretch the pyrric salary that does not reach the loss of life; All this limits time and economic and mental resources available for accompaniment and educational reinforcement in the home. This lack of additional support outside the school environment adds an additional layer of complexity to the teaching work, since teachers must compensate for these deficiencies and provide an enriching educational environment in which students can prosper.
But the bourgeoisie and its means of misinformation does not take into account all these variants when it comes to ranting against teachers. They criticize a school that pedagogically remained with methods of 30 or 40 years ago, but they are not just as critics of obsolete school infrastructure, designed many decades ago and that has not adapted to current needs, such as climate crisis and demands of the students of the 21st century.
This outdated school infrastructure directly affects the learning environment and the well -being of students. The lack of well -equipped classrooms, outdoor spaces, adequate ventilation systems and modern technology limits the possibilities of offering quality education that meets the needs and expectations of current students.
And these deficiencies in school infrastructure are not simply accidental carelessness, but the result of an economic and political system that prioritizes the interests of the bourgeoisie above the needs of working classes and their children. The insufficient investment in public education and the growing privatization of the education system are a direct attack of the most loved capital that the proletariat has and that defined it as such: its offspring.
In addition, to all these difficulties the Law of Inclusion in the educational field must be added, which has been a reason for debate and controversy in various contexts, because although it seeks to promote equal opportunities and the integration of students with special needs in the system Regular educational, in many cases it is nothing but a pretext to cut budget in education and avoid the creation of adequate specialized centers to serve these students. Instead of investing in resources and specialized personnel, they have chosen to integrate these students into regular schools without providing the necessary support in appointed personnel, infrastructure, materials and training, to guarantee their academic success and emotional well -being.
This lack of special quality educational centers and ideal personnel has left many teachers in a precarious situation, facing the task of attending to a large number of students with special needs in an environment little prepared for it. The pressure on teachers to adapt to this reality without adequate resources is unfair and counterproductive for the objective of an inclusive education.
Thus, criticism of traditional education cannot be disconnected from a broader analysis that considers the structural realities that condition the educational environment. Overcoming this model requires not only teacher training, but also a deep transformation of all school infrastructure.
To change the educational system in favor of the people, it is necessary to address the structural conditions that perpetuate inequality and injustice in the educational field:
- Repeal the Decree 3020 and that the student limit per teacher is 15 in transition, 20 in primary and 25 in high school; This to facilitate more personalized attention and a more significant interaction between students and teachers.
- The construction of new public schools and schools, the renewal of obsolete facilities - for them to adapt to the current climatic crisis - and the incorporation of modern technology in all classrooms.
- Prioritize the creation of inclusive educational spaces and adapted to the needs of students with disabilities.
The transformation of the educational system in favor of the people requires a broad mobilization and struggle. This implies strengthening and strengthening the union organizations of the Magisterium, promoting their restructuring so that its fighting platform reflects the main claims demanded by the entire educational community.
In addition, it is imperative to link all students to this struggle, who are directly affected by the overcrowding in the classrooms and the difficulties that this creates for the teaching-learning process. The University Student Movement, close to becoming a proletariat of education and that have also experienced the difficulties of the educational system in their own flesh, must be combined combatively to this struggle.
Similarly, it is crucial that parents, belonging to the proletariat and the peasantry, join this fight for quality public education. They are direct witnesses of the precarious conditions in which schools and public schools are found, and understand the importance of guaranteeing a decent education for their children.
This union of proletarian and peasant forces, which includes teachers, students and parents, is essential to press and conquer the changes that are urgent in the education of the people.