(OPENING MUSIC)
European Forum on Education Administration (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
Today, we celebrate,
at the Escuelas Pías centre the UNED's associated centre in Madrid,
the 25th Conference of the European Forum on Education Administration.
[Rector of the UNED] UNED is very pleased
with its collaboration on all these activities, which have to do with our daily work.
I am very pleased because, as an education teacher,
this is a very close subject on which I have already worked.
The topic is appealing. It is the social evaluation of education.
I mean, the evaluation has a technical component which is crucial to carry it out.
But it has a sense, a purpose.
It has a function in the educational system and its improvement ability.
The fact that the Forum focuses on this seems especially relevant to me.
Therefore, I feel very pleased with UNED's modest collaboration,
even if it is only holding the meeting
and with the participation of some of us, including myself.
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
[Former director general of the UNESCO] Education is interpreted in many ways
and we have a great pressure coming from the economic institutions,
such as the OECD, through reports like Pisa reports,
which tend to think about the pupil,
about the student, as a future consumer,
thinking about having, not about being.
But the important point in education is being,
helping human beings to have these faculties,
which are unbelievable, the faculties of thinking, imagining,
anticipating, inventing, creating. Every unique human being is a creator,
and that is what the UNESCO summarizes brilliantly by saying:
‘Education is helping to be free and responsible’.
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
We observed that in some countries a social pact on education is impossible,
and the reason may be that education is not seen as a treasure,
as the most important thing for society.
If there is not such a consideration,
it is difficult to manage a social pact on education.
[President of EFEA Madrid] it is difficult to manage a social pact on education.
In other places, a political pact is difficult too,
because education is tied to fluctuations of political parties and ideologies,
when education should stay away from all this.
Education is a responsibility of all of us, including politicians, but not exclusively.
Right now, citizens must participate, must be responsible,
we need to rely on them to improve education.
Citizens have the right to know how much of their taxes is for education,
and, how much of that is really invested in education.
Sometimes it is not invested what it should be.
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
[Production: Daniel Plaza]