The Digital Transformation of Education in Spain: Advancements, Challenges, and Opportunities

The digital education in Spain has experienced significant growth in recent years, becoming a cornerstone of the educational system. The growing importance of information and communication technologies has led to the integration of digital tools in classrooms, from primary school to university. Furthermore, the pandemic further accelerated this process by driving the adoption of online education and the use of virtual platforms for distance learning.

To analyze this issue, THE OBJECTIVE organizes the round table Digital education: keys to high-quality teaching and learninga debate sponsored by Huawei. Different topics are addressed in it. The main ones are the importance of technology in the teaching and learning process, the role of public administrations and publishers, and the involvement of families in the process, as well as what conclusions we can draw – advantages and disadvantages – from the pandemic.

Participant Carlos Carusambassador of Amazon Web Services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Emiliano Blascovice-rector of Digital Culture of the San Pablo CEU University, Maria Pilar Poncepresident of the School Council of the Madrid’s communityy Juan BruSenior Human Resources Manager de Huawei. The journalist from THE OBJECTIVE moderates the table Marcos Heritage.

A development tool

«From a macroeconomic point of view, I believe that Technology is essential for the development of this country. So that we continue to be a first-line country,” warns Carlos Carús, ambassador of Amazon Web Services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

«To do this we need that talent, that talent that has those digital skills, that also have those soft skillsthat knowledge in humanities. Because if you are a technology expert and you don’t have skills social issues is not going to be easy for that person, because what we are risking is the future of the economic impact,” he adds. He also highlights that technology “It is a tool, it is not an objective”. «Without people, technology is worthless, but if people know how to use technology, then that is when the magic happens and that is when we get everything to work as it should and we have that capacity for international competition and the force that leads to this country move forward.

The urgency of freedom

For Emiliano Blasco, vice-rector of Digital Culture at the San Pablo CEU University, «we have to become aware as a society that technology is fundamental. At the employability level, at the educational level… Technology, to give a somewhat simple example, has become English for everything. The future is going to be divided between those who manage the technology and those who do not. So the technology has to be a given.” “Beyond social awareness and these actions that we are carrying out with all the actors that are involved,” he adds, “I believe that one of the great challenges is the issue of protecting people’s freedom, safeguarding them.” and helping them understand how technology works.

He gives as an example “one of the great challenges” that exists right now: the artificial intelligence. «We have to get this artificial intelligence regulated, that there are no biases. We were talking before about the gap between men and women, but that is not the only gap. There are ages, there are economic, class, and nationality issues. So, the moment that this deepens or is not protected, we will be creating inequalities that go against the freedom of the person. So, I think that is the fundamental thing and it is the most urgent. In the face of these emerging technologies and there everyone –public administrations, obviously–, but we all have a fundamental role.

Technology and harassment

The issue of trust and security is key for María Pilar Ponce, president of the School Council of the Community of Madrid. “You don’t go into your child’s room and say: ‘Well, look, there’s the door so you can come and go whenever you want.’ They have that on their mobile door to infinity and they have that door to infinity that you do not control as a parent, that you would like to control, but also, in the area of ​​bullying, cyberbullying… We have another problem, which is that today bullying transcends the sacrosanct space of the child’s home. She reaches her room, she reaches the house through devices, social networks… And that, for me, is something essential that we have to work on. “We cannot allow children to not have safe spaces in which they can be,” she warns.

The collaboration of all the actors involved is vital: «It is not understood without the collaboration of everyone, being able to work on these issues and also explain the dangers. Above all, which is very important, for Help your child when he is not the victim, but the perpetrator. Or when he is the clapper who applauds the pimp in the class instead of catching him and reporting him. That is also very difficult for parents, to think ‘what if my child is to blame?’ Well, maybe your child is to blame, so We have to train them and we have to help accompany the childrenwhatever role they have, also in a complex situation.

Education to leave no one behind

«From Huawei, basically, our strategy regarding the talent development and education for Spanish society revolves around three pillars: one, the development of technical capabilitiesTwo, talent development within the technology sector –there it covers everything from vocations to people who are already working or studying in the technology sector–, and a third very important point is the digitization of the educational sector. That is, we as manufacturers want to contribute so that the educational sector, in all its different modalities, is digitalized,” explains Juan Bru, Senior Human Resources Manager at Huawei.

To achieve this, it also insists on collaboration between the parties involved: educational centers, private and public companies, and associations. A major challenge that you can’t leave anyone behind: «To try to reach the entire spectrum of societyfrom children, women, unemployed, engineers who want to continue training, people who have a job but want to do a reskilling…And also the older ones, because it is also absolutely necessary.