Erasmus+ course in Madrid 1. – 7.3.2020
In the midst of the corona crisis and quarantine, looking to the future or the past may offer at least temporary relief from pandemic anxiety and the longing for social connections. Do you remember the time when we still went to cafes with friends just for the heck of it? Or when we participated in group exercise classes without thinking about it at all? Or when we shook hands or hugged dozens of people at parties?
I have recently found myself remembering the Erasmus+ course trip we took to Madrid just before the crisis broke out, where we were invited by the Spanish-based organization English Matters, which works in European educational cooperation. At the Helsinki Adult Education Institute, we have already hosted groups of European teachers visiting Finland through the same EU-funded project on a few occasions, and in March we had the great opportunity to get to know the Spanish education system for ourselves and visit schools in Madrid on site. In addition to the undersigned, our institute’s language education manager, Niina Kerppola, also went on the week-long course held in early March.
Tight schedule ahead
Structured Educational Visit to Schools/Institutes & Training Seminars in Spain -were joined by over 20 other participants from ten different EU countries. The course consisted of three different parts: lectures, school visits and cultural projects. At the end of the week, we presented the learning portfolios we had compiled in small groups to the rest of the group in a closing seminar.
During the first couple of days we learned about Spanish education and the country's history, while the rest of the week was mostly hands-on learning, as numerous schools opened their doors to us and we got to see and hear what was going on in the classrooms and staff rooms. The week's schedule was very tight overall, but the program was so interesting that we didn't feel tired even during the long days.
In the mornings we listened to lectures or visited schools, and in the afternoons the program was reserved for culture. With the help of excellent guides, we got to explore Madrid's old town, the Prado Museum, Alcalá de Henares, known as the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, and the multicultural city of Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Getting to know the Spanish school system
The school visits were mainly aimed at middle and high schools, but some schools also offered vocational training and adult education. In Spain, at least in theory, the Nordic “local school is the best school” mentality is being fostered, as there are not many major differences in level between schools, although possible socio-economic challenges in different regions may also be reflected in schoolwork. 70% of compulsory school children study in public schools, 25% in publicly funded private schools and 5% in completely private schools, for example those funded by religious communities. 95% of schools follow the same curriculum, meaning that only private schools can have differences in their curricula. The autonomous regions play the largest role in organizing education, not so much the central government. We also learned that the number of bilingual (mostly Spanish-English) schools is increasing, and more and more emphasis is being placed on language teaching. Traditionally, proficiency in English and other foreign languages in Spain has been weak by European standards, but problems have been raised, and efforts are being made to pay attention to the level of language teaching.
Memorable encounters
In the schools, we met professional and welcoming staff and motivated students. I particularly remembered the Centro Padre Piquer school, whose students have traditionally come from low-income families, and which currently has a large minority of children with immigrant backgrounds and learning disabilities. The center operates a middle school, high school and vocational school. Based on an initiative from teachers, learning was enhanced, for example, by reorganizing the teaching spaces so that large classrooms have small groups of tables for group work, separate spaces for students with special needs, and several teachers at the same time.
The classes began with a mindfulness exercise, which the students seemed to participate in willingly and without any pretense. For a secular Finnish visitor, it certainly seemed a bit strange and even disturbing to see pictures of the Pope and crosses on the walls, and to hear that prayer was also part of the daily program, but the teachers who guided us assured us that the general atmosphere of the school was very permissive and liberal, and that children of other religions were not forced to participate in prayers.
Another school that made a big impact was the oldest school in the country, IES San Isidro, located in the heart of Madrid. Founded by Jesuit monks in the 1620s for the children of noble families, the school is now known as an inclusive institution, where LGBT students have found an accepting and empowering learning environment within its majestic archways and halls. I was immensely pleased to see that traditional and prestigious institutions are not necessarily always conservative bastions of resistance to change, but can also act as defenders of a more inclusive and liberal school world. The school principal wanted to emphasize to us that the transformation of the school environment to be LGBT-sensitive was entirely the initiative and action of the students themselves, which resulted in the establishment of a team of staff to support the well-being of students from different minorities.
Return to everyday life
The week went by quickly, but we had a lot to experience and see. To my great joy, I also managed to meet a few of my friends living in Madrid and, through them, get an even better feel for Spanish everyday life and society. Now, in retrospect, from quarantine, the week feels even more meaningful, as all the big and small plans and trips for the end of spring have been canceled or postponed to the distant future. Of course, the coronavirus had already hit Madrid while we were there, but the situation only escalated a few days after our return to Helsinki, and just four days later the entire city's schools were closed, meaning our school visits were pretty much at the last minute. Fortunately, our group avoided infection and I really hope that all the Madrid residents we met are also safe and healthy. For now, let's stay home, reminisce about the past, plan for the future and try to enjoy spring, even if occasional melancholy creeps into our remote work.
In the words of Cervantes:
"Sir, melancholy was not made for Beasts but for men and yet if men encourage melancholy too much they become no better than beasts."
"Señor las tristezas no se hiciéron para las bestias Sino para los hombres pero si los hombres las sienten demasiado se Vuelven bestias."
(Don Quixote of La Mancha)
Text: Venla, Helsinki Adult Education Institute
Photo: Krzystof Hepner, Unsplash