For an education immune to a pandemic

The pandemic has shown that the educational system is not ready for online education. Many virtual classes maintained a conventional format: teachers taught on a screen-blackboard and students listened and/or watched, which tends to prioritize teaching over learning, with students who depend on the teacher, with serious difficulties studying alone. Devices for the formation of self-discipline, the ability to self-regulate behavior, have not been developed. This is observed in the natural behavior of an individual in the presence or absence of authority, and when he deploys self-teaching as a method to learn without the help of another. The curriculum leaves something to be desired in the formation of self-regulatory aspects of the personality such as will and character. In a pandemic, corrective measures could not be taken due to the rush to attend to technological emergencies, but close to the face-to-face return, the changes are more in form than in substance, and we are at a key moment to discuss a shift in the Ministry’s pedagogical model. Reading enables the development of critical thinking, acquisition of knowledge and education in values. Learning to read does not ensure the formation of a reader and the reading rate in Latin American countries remains below the world average. The formation of the reading habit should be addressed, starting with individual self-discovery with the stimulation of curiosity, identification of interests and formulation of questions as vital needs. A national debate is necessary to achieve an education immune to future catastrophes and changes.

Eduardo Molina Moran

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