"SCHOOL FAILURE": A RECURRING THEME
- However much this may be mentioned in recent decades, so-called "school failure" is not in deed an old problem, but a fairly recent problem, due to generalised schooling. At least from a subjective point of view - which indeed is not the only important factor in this field - one fails only in what one attempts to achieve and does not achieve. Thus one may note, among other things, that "school failure" is really a typical phenomenon in countries that have achieved a certain educational development, but not so much in those still struggling to generalise schooling, even at primary school level. In fact, it is so typical in educationally developed countries that almost all of them suffer it to a greater or lesser extent.
- However, "school failure" in Spain, if not old, has indeed been a recurring theme in recent decades, above all as of the early seventies. Under one name or another, it is referred to in numerous research papers and in most of the diagnosis or situation reports presented to the public at large or to the educational authorities since then, as we have had the opportunity to see in chapter one. It places special emphasis on the technical reports by the Inspectorate, which sometimes provide specific figures, as well as those that, since 1984, has been prepared by the State School Council. According to the Report on Primary Education performed by the INCE in 1995, only 51% of a 64% students aged 12 achieved acceptable results in Mathematics and Spanish Language respectively, which shows there is 49% and 26%, in both cases, which do not achieve these.
- It is thus not something new what the diagnosis now presented affirms in more general terms and undoubtably better documented: that as to the basic subjects of learning, an average of students aged 14 "is on the limit of the distribution with clearly unsatisfactory results", and "33% of the students aged 16 is on the lower limit of the distribution, with results that are very far from the acceptable minimums".
- These are undoubtably worrying results, the severity of which must not be ignored. The truth is that the presence of high percentages of school drop-outs is also present in other educational systems around us at our cultural level, although, according to the scarce comparative data not available to us, the figures the developed countries seem to reach do not reach the same levels as ours; according to general impressions, that are merely approximate although documented, this does not usually exceed 20% a both ages. In order to speak of full reliability in comparisons between countries, as to school failure, one would undoubtably have to start from the basis of methodologies with common principles as to the actual definition and determination of school failure, which has yet to be carried out. To conclude, the differences in margin between some developed countries and others, which is relatively close, does not in any way justify social alarm in the Spanish case, although urgent corrective measures should be taken.
- In fact, these means of correction could and should have started years ago, as in other countries (and in spite of these being less affected). Due to a series of reasons this diagnosis need not go deeper into, the truth is that this has not happened; we are now facing the urgent need to bring about a significant change to make schools an efficient means of promotion, in one sense or another, for the majority of the Spanish juvenile population, and under no circumstances may it allow systematic failure by at least a quarter of its members.
- The growth of schooling frequently causes a drop in the global level of teaching. Moreover, an important number of students who fail do so out of full, conscious lack of interest in what school has to offer them, in spite of the pressure that may be put on them by parents and teachers. The latter immediately comes to light in class, although little may be done to overcome the situation. From the teacher's point of view, the Report on Syllabuses and Teaching Methods states the problem in the following, very expressive words: "The presence of a significant number of students who could be called "academic objectors" has been noted: those who openly declare their rejection of schooling, although they have no alternative but to attend school. They show a problem generated by the ESO, that has no solution at present." It seems obvious that any attempt at solution must involve finding institutional solutions out aiming at it only being teachers who solve the problem - allowing the student's interest to be recovered, as exclusion from schooling must be fully rejected.
- Interesting the students who have lost interest is not a problem that only affects them, but also their companions (especially others who also, regrettably, have a low performance) and all of the school action. As the Report on School Operation most clearly states, one of the two main causes of the situations of lack of discipline in schools is precisely due to "lack of interest among the students, followed by family problems and the presence of repeating students".
- To sum up, one of the priority objectives that must be imposed by the Spanish educational system is a determined struggle against school failure from the very beginning of obligatory education (and surely before) although especially during the period of secondary education. To allow this, it is fundamental that Spanish society itself is aware that the problem exists and that it is a severe problem, a matter that is not very clear if we consider the information provided by the families of students in secondary education.
- According to the answers to the survey administered, included in the Report on School and Family, at least 70% of Spanish parents are satisfied with their children's academic results. One must reconsider the data collected in this sense, pages back "70% of Spanish parents believe that their children are doing well or very well in their studies compared with other children their age; 57% reply that their children are motivated (always or frequently) to study; 76% of fathers and 83% of mother satisfied with the they have with their children as to their studies; 70% of fathers and 71% of mothers say they are satisfied with their children's academic performance. The assessment of children's academic progress is high; a quarter consider it "very good" and almost half "good", somewhat less than a quarter "reasonable" and only 6% "bad". It is evident that the figures do not match, above all the latter two. If, as the data on performance suggests, we have academic failure rates of about 25% and 30% aged 14 and 16, how is it possible that less than 25% of parents state that their children's performance is only "reasonable", and only 6% admit a situation of real failure? It will be difficult to combat academic failure in a society that, simply, does not admit its existence, at least in real proportions. One would have to go into the causes for this state of opinion; and provide adequate solutions.
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