It is very curious that there is a part of the intelligentsia, teachers included, that systematically questions the function of the school or education as a social elevator: that it no longer works, that it does not fulfill this function, that the elevator is broken, that what they are looking for companies is not what occurs in school… It is quite common to speak of the university as a “factory for the unemployed” (a phrase that, in addition to being flatly false according to the existing unemployment data, I find it outrageous that it is pronounced by people with degrees university).
Families have it very clear, especially those with more purchasing power. The recent study published by Esade and carried out by Juan Manuel Moreno and Ángel Martínez makes it very clear: almost half of the students receive language, artistic or other activities in the afternoon, outside their school. This figure is extended to 60% of the students in the case of ESO and Baccalaureate, and is much higher in families with more purchasing power than in those with lower incomes. It is especially serious, as the authors of the study point out, that one out of every three euros spent goes to reinforce what has been worked on during school hours. This is to make us look at it… The school is that place where girls and boys spend 30 hours a week and we are not able to secure even the essentials, in many cases. This euro could well be called “the euro of shame.”
Beyond that, if we really believe that education is a human right, we believe in equal opportunities and social justice, we should not allow the training of a boy or a girl to be conditioned by their social origin . In the same way that a hospital (at least, for now) makes all the resources available to any patient, so should be the case with education.
We need a good support system for families who request or require it, a good offer (public and free) of all kinds of activities, starting with educational reinforcement and ending with cultural, artistic, scientific, literary, recreational or sports activities. . In addition, we have some facilities that could be used (schools are closed in the afternoon, weekends and holidays)… Let’s not think about it anymore. The social elevator exists. Let’s really ensure equal opportunities.
