AMETIC presents a proposal for a State Pact to promote a stable, equitable and innovative education system
AMETIC, the voice of the digital industry in Spain, launches a call to action with its proposal for a "State Pact for the Integral Transformation of Education and Talent", an initiative that seeks to lay the foundations for a stable, equitable, innovative and aligned education system with the needs of the 21st century. With this proposal, employers demand a solid and consensual regulatory framework that ends with an outdated and insufficient educational model to respond to current challenges. In this sense, AMETIC warns of the urgency of adapting training to a constantly changing digital and work environment, attacking at the root youth unemployment and school dropout, two of the great pending subjects in the country.
The data is blunt. Spain is one of the countries with the highest repetition rate in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), and an alarming 13% of young people between 18 and 24 years old leave the education system prematurely, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. These shortcomings are transferred to the workplace, where youth unemployment levels are eight points higher than the European average, and the lack of digital talent is decreasing the competitiveness of companies. Faced with this reality, AMETIC defends the need for an agreement that puts an end to the legislative paralysis and lays the foundations for a modern, accessible and truly useful education for the future of the new generations.
AMETIC's proposal is articulated around seven essential pillars to change the course of the education system:
- Revolutionize educational quality at all levels, from Infant to Higher Education, with innovative methodologies that reduce school failure and promote essential skills for the future.
- Closing the skills gap and preparing young people for the challenges of the 21st century, ensuring that education not only forms, but ensures employability and entrepreneurship.
- Strengthen the role of teachers and provide them with the necessary resources, making them the pillar of educational change and a true engine of transformation.
- Multiply investment in education, reaching at least 6% of total public expenditure in the coming years to ensure structural and sustainable change.
- Transforming pedagogical methods, boosting digitalisation, personalised teaching and the integration of transversal competences.
- Require a rigorous and continuous evaluation of educational policies, with clear indicators of impact and improvement.
- Promote a real partnership between the public, private and society sectors, with a lasting commitment that shields education from political instability and ensures its constant evolution.
To make this structural change a reality, AMETIC seeks the commitment of the main actors in the educational, political and business spheres to establish priorities and concrete measures that ensure the stability of the system and the continuity of educational policies in the long term.
In line with the presentation of the proposal, Francisco Hortigüela, president of AMETIC, argues that "we can no longer postpone the debate or settle for temporary patches. We demand concrete measures, with a vision of the future and with the work and commitment of administrations, companies and the educational community”.
Innovation and digitalisation: the Engine of Change
The use of technology and digitalization play a leading role in this transformation of the education system. It is widely demonstrated that by incorporating digital tools, teachers can create more dynamic, interactive and engaging lessons, while improving learning and competences such as digital, language communication and “Learning to Learn”.
This proposed State Pact underlines the need to integrate digital tools in a structural and strategic way, in order to make the education system more resilient and responsive to the challenges of the future. At the same time, it seeks to ensure coherence with the digital education strategies promoted at European level.
"In democracy, only seven State Pacts have been reached. Now, with this proposal, AMETIC aims to promote the eighth: a historic agreement that guarantees education adapted to a digital environment and strengthens the country’s future”, says Pilar Roch, Managing Director of AMETIC. "We cannot afford further delays or continue to prepare the talent for a reality that is already obsolete. It is time to act with vision and determination in a matter that affects the whole of Spanish society in such a decisive way to ensure our competitiveness”.
