The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recommends to Spain the split shift, with schools open longer in the afternoons, as a way to reduce early school leaving, which continues to be one of the highest in the EU and It is the main educational problem of our country.
In the document Proposals for an action plan to reduce early school leaving in Spain, to which EL MUNDO has had access, this international organization warns that “in Spain many centers work with an intensive schedule and focused on the mornings” and that ” Nearly 47% of households pay for extracurricular classes for their children, more than half of which correspond to support classes on curricular subjects in the case of low-income households”.
That is why he urges us to follow the example of several OECD countries, such as Denmark and Portugal, which have moved to flexible full-time systems, with an increase in the provision of school canteens and extracurricular activities. “Spain could consider adopting a similar approach because of the benefits it could bring, particularly for disadvantaged students,” he stresses. “Spending more time in school has been shown to increase graduation rates and improve learning and other social and behavioral indicators,” she insists. And he adds that “research tends to corroborate that these advantages are more notable in the case of disadvantaged students.”
The OECD report -presented this afternoon by the Secretary of State for Education, José Manuel Bar- has its origin in a commission that the Ministry of Education made to the General Directorate for Support for Structural Reforms of the EC through its specific technical support instrument to reduce early leaving. This request laid the foundations of a project in which the European Union, the OECD, the Government and the Autonomous Communities have worked, which have met to analyze the situation and have studied many good practices.
The objective is to see why the rate of young people who have not continued studying beyond the age of 16 is 13.9% (almost half that of a decade earlier but still well above the target of 9% set by the EC ) and take steps to reduce it. The report warns that “high early school leaving is also reflected in poor academic performance”; points out that it is a phenomenon that affects boys more than girls and students of immigrant origin or socioeconomically disadvantaged, and stresses that there are “notable regional disparities”, with rates ranging from 5% to more than 16% (Catalonia ,Baleares or Murcia) between the different autonomous communities.
The work recognizes programs launched by the Ministry, such as the PROA or the Support and Guidance Units, which provide support to students at risk of dropping out, but points out some of the problems that may be contributing to perpetuating early dropout and makes a series of recommendations in this regard.
Among the OECD recommendations is the “extension of learning time.” “Many centers in Spain work with an intensive schedule focused on the mornings, which forces parents to pay for extracurricular classes,” says the report. He explains that “a feasible transition would require investing in subsidies for food and school infrastructure and adequately remunerating the staff of the centers, among other aspects.”
The intensive day has increased by 11 autonomies since the Covid. Only public schools in Catalonia and the Basque Country are committed to split timetables, despite the fact that there is no solid scientific evidence to support this compressed timetable.
The OECD proposes “reviewing initial teacher training programs to better prepare teachers to manage diversity in classrooms” and “improve teachers’ ability to identify and support students at risk of dropping out.” He uses the Talis report, which says that only 28% of Spanish high school teachers (compared to 44% of the OECD average) state that they feel prepared to teach students with different levels and needs.
It is highlighted in the report that around 33% of teachers have a temporary contract, which “undermines” the ability of centers to form stable teams in which early abandonment can be detected and prevented.
“Perhaps part of the problem also lies in the recruitment and selection processes of aspiring teachers,” adds the document, which explains that “currently universities do not take into account the socio-emotional aptitudes of candidates.” It proposes hiring teachers who “better represent the diversity of the student body” and “encouraging people of diverse origins to enter the educational profession, through the promotion of positive role models and adapted communication campaigns.”
He also urges “consider improving the attractiveness of salaries and career development opportunities for directors” who now have, he says, “limited financial rewards.”
The types and functions of counselors, social workers and psychologists are also “limited”, which “vary depending on each educational center in Spain, despite the fact that the support they provide can be vital to help students at risk of dropping out “.
In the work meetings, “the different interpretations between the autonomous communities” were revealed, which occur, for example, when defining and measuring what a “vulnerable center” is (it is recommended to prepare an index of vulnerable centers such as Ireland has done, to whom to give more resources), what “truancy” means or who exactly are the “pupils with specific educational support needs”. The OECD report reflects “the need for more homogeneous definitions and clearer response protocols” because there is now “enormous” variation between different regions.
The OECD proposes to review the policies for student admission and choice of center, both for public and subsidized centers, “to guarantee that students are distributed more heterogeneously between educational centers and reduce school segregation.” Proposes a system of “controlled choice”, reserving a part of the places for students from disadvantaged backgrounds; the creation of specialized offices at the local level to inform about school admission, or “take into account examples such as that of Catalonia, where several municipalities have merged their areas of influence and have modified the traditional approach to choosing a center that pairs centers and neighborhoods “.
The OECD considers VET as a means of coping with early leaving, “given that many of the young people who leave education choose it when they return to their studies” and “it can also be an attractive option for young people who are willing to leave the desk at the less part-time and access the labor market early”. It proposes “tax incentives or subsidies” for companies to participate in dual FP programs.
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