La Vanguardia, specifically the Society section, has been giving voices for a few days now among teachers in Catalonia. This newspaper wants to know what their experience is, their day-to-day life in the classroom, what they think, how they experience so much social, legislative and professional change when PISA has come to put up the warning sign of the collapse of the system. And what have we encountered? With one refusal after another. Most, with a few exceptions, convey their concern to us with powerful reasons that deserve a speaker, but they do so in private. They prefer anonymity.
The question is why they don't want to show their face. There is a lot of talk about the discomfort of children, but what about teachers? Discontent runs through a profession that has (or at least had) a high vocational component. The discomfort of the teachers is latent, which also happens with the doctors.
One of the biggest mistakes a government can make if the troops of its "essential" groups are demotivated is to normalize the situation. Watch out! PISA as a symptom.
The teachers tell us that there is a fear of being pointed out. Fear of "what they will say if I think that...", fear of school family chats, classroom chats, fear of directors, of the Inspectorate, that there will be some kind of "retaliation"... So many fears together lead them to remain silent, or to block, or to disassociate themselves from the vocation. Or even give up.
The reality without nuances has been familiar to us for years. There is a lack of hands and resources to deal with diversity, immigration, learning problems, reading and comprehension difficulties, and the growing disorders. Teacher training plans and improvements in their university career are missing. There is a lack of support from the Administration and that every time more money is asked for, the answer is not that of "get your money's worth". Lack of demand Lack of authority. Lack of self-esteem.
And there are curriculum, pedagogical experiments, bureaucracy, the mobile phone, the loss of respect. There are families who question the word of the teacher before that of their child.
The school has become critical, everyone has an opinion. It is not understandable that teachers continue to hide behind their fears.
