WEEK 3 - REFORMS & REALITIES

 

Although this week we only had one in-person session (the only one, since the second one had to be completed at home through questionnaires), this post will be a little longer to compensate. It was a session full of information, history, debates, and reflections—one of those classes that really force you to think critically about the system we are part of.

SESSION 1:

We began by analyzing the historical development of Spanish education through the Ley General de Educación (LGE) of 1970. This law was considered revolutionary because it broadened access, created a more structured pathway of compulsory education, and introduced subsidies for private schools, giving rise to the system of concertadas (state-subsidized schools). The debate here was intense: while the LGE was a step forward in democratizing access to education, it also opened the door to inequalities that persist today between public, private, and concertada schools, especially in terms of resources and accessibility.

Our professor also showed us a promotional video from the LGE era, where the focus moved away from rote memorization and towards practical learning. She even shared a personal anecdote from her own school years: she remembered being asked to measure the same object with different tools in order to reach the conclusion that all gave the same result. The underlying idea was powerful—helping students discover concepts by themselves—but it also raised the question: are all reforms truly effective in practice?

From there, we moved on to the different education laws: LOE, LOMCE, and LOMLOE, analyzing how each shaped our current system. A key difference highlighted was that the LOMCE was organized by years, allowing repetition each year, whereas the LOMLOE works by cycles, so students can only repeat once every two years. This naturally linked to debates on grade repetition, early school leaving, and FPBásica.

Here I connected it with one of my own tutoring experiences: Rubén, a student who repeated 1º ESO and wanted to drop out to enter FPBásica. Personally, I do not fully support this path at such an early stage. For me, the real backbone is a Grado Medio, while FPBásica sometimes becomes a way of closing doors too early. As our professor insisted, “nunca hay que cerrar las puertas a nadie,” and that resonated with me—because education should always offer second chances, not reduce them.

That reminded me of my second year of Bachillerato. That year, I witnessed a teacher’s imprudence that sparked my interest in Law, which is why I eventually spent a year studying it. This experience helps me understand the importance of educational legislation and the system as a whole. It also made me reflect on what makes a good teacher: someone who combines knowledge of the law with care, reflection, and adaptability, unlike a less effective teacher who acts mechanically without considering students’ needs.

Building on that, we also discussed the principles of education included in the current law:

1. That all students, regardless of age, must be guaranteed a path back into the system (a response to high early school leaving in Spain).

2. That quality and equality must go hand in hand, as a responsibility of the whole society.

3. That Spain must commit to the educational targets of the European Union.

Our professor stressed that teachers are not “mediocre,” as some discourses claim, but rather the key factor of quality in the system. From this perspective, teacher training becomes crucial. Still, the challenge remains: while there are real methodological changes in Primary Education, in Secondary Education the impact is often weaker.

This session left me thinking deeply. On one hand, I admire the attempt to shift towards more inclusive, flexible, and competency-based education. On the other hand, I remain critical about some gaps. For example, although methodologies such as project-based learning or discovery learning are valuable, I feel we sometimes lose sight of two key aspects: discipline and memory as practice.

As I often say, not all students “lack motivation” because they do not want to learn. Sometimes what they lack is discipline, guidance, and structure. That is why I criticize certain aspects of the LOMLOE: while it fosters reflection and adaptability, I think it does not insist enough on developing perseverance and “aprender a aprender” in a demanding sense.

At the same time, I strongly agree with what one of my former professors (Educación y Sociedad) always said: “el problema real son las ratios.” If class sizes were smaller, we could teach in a more individualized way, foster discipline, and prevent dropouts. This conviction is reinforced by my own experience, both in tutoring and during school placements: when you can focus on students individually, results improve drastically.

In short, my stance is this: innovation is needed, yes, but without reducing ratios and reinforcing discipline, it will never be fully effective. Reforms must land in the classroom with concrete measures, not just stay in theory.

This session was very enriching. I really enjoyed the historical perspective on the LGE because it allowed me to understand where many current debates about equity and accessibility come from—especially regarding the coexistence of public, private, and concertada schools. At the same time, I felt that the video and anecdote were a good way to bring that period closer to us, though perhaps we could have spent a little more time connecting it directly to our present challenges.

The strengths of the session were clear: it was dynamic, full of information, and it opened up debates where everyone could contribute. However, at times the amount of legal detail was overwhelming, and I think a more visual or comparative table between laws (LOE, LOMCE, LOMLOE) would have made it easier to digest. Even so, it was a session that left me with many ideas to reflect upon, and overall, I would say it was one of the most engaging so far.

SESSION 2

The second session of the week did not take place in class. Instead, we had to complete a series of initial evaluation questionnaires online. The idea behind them was interesting: to reflect on our own knowledge and expectations at the start of the course. Personally, I found the intention valuable, but I also felt that the format was a bit excessive. For me, reflection is something I already do constantly—every week, after every class, and even after tutoring sessions. That is why I would have preferred a more dynamic activity, one that connects better with practice and helps us track our progress later in the semester.

Overall, I believe this was an intense and enriching week. The first session was loaded with historical, legal, and pedagogical insights that gave me plenty to think about. The debates were stimulating and forced me to take a clear stance on sensitive topics such as repetition, FPBásica, and methodological change.

At the same time, I remain critical: the questionnaires of the second session could be redesigned to be more practical, and some parts of the legal framework still seem disconnected from the everyday reality of classrooms. But that is also part of the richness of education—different perspectives, debates, agreements, and disagreements.

And if through this I can convey to my private students that education is not only about learning content, but also about cultivating perseverance, resilience, and the ability to face challenges without giving up, then I feel that the true purpose of teaching has been fulfilled.

Because at the end of the day, education is exactly that: a field where no single method or law has all the answers, but where reflection, practice, and diversity of approaches keep the system alive and moving forward.

REFERENCES:

Azanon Cabeza, M. (2022, octubre). Desafíos del sistema educativo en España. Portafolio Digital María Azañón Cabeza. https://portafoliodigitalmariaazanoncabeza.blogspot.com/2022/10/desafios-del-sistema-educativo-en.html

Boletín Oficial del Estado. (1970). Ley General de Educación (LGE), de 4 de agosto de 1970. BOE, nº 187.

Boletín Oficial del Estado. (2006). Ley Orgánica 2/2006, de 3 de mayo, de Educación (LOE). BOE, nº 106.

Boletín Oficial del Estado. (2013). Ley Orgánica 8/2013, de 9 de diciembre, para la mejora de la calidad educativa (LOMCE). BOE, nº 295.

Boletín Oficial del Estado. (2020). Ley Orgánica 3/2020, de 29 de diciembre, por la que se modifica la Ley Orgánica 2/2006, de 3 de mayo, de Educación (LOMLOE). BOE, nº 340.

Durán, J. F. (2023). Comunicación personal en la asignatura Educación y Sociedad (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo).

Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. (s.f.). Facultad de Educación. Toledo. Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. https://www.uclm.es/toledo/educacion

Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha. (2022). Decreto 81/2022, de 26 de julio, por el que se establece el currículo de Educación Primaria en Castilla-La Mancha. https://docm.castillalamancha.es/

Junta de Castilla la Mancha. (2022). Decreto 81/2022, de 17 de mayo, por el que se establece la ordenación y el currículo de la Educación Primaria en la Comunidad Autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha. DOCM, nº 134.

Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional. (1970). Vídeo promocional de la Ley General de Educación. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/zl6iSEC0zeE

Mars, B., Lawrence, P., Levine, A., Walton, K., & Cain, K. (2010). Don’t Give Up. Elektra Records.

Microsoft. (s.f.). Bing. Microsoft. https://www.bing.com

Ministerio de Educación, Formación Profesional y Deportes. (s.f.). Ministerio de Educación, Formación Profesional y Deportes. https://www.educacionfpydeportes.gob.es/portada.html

Pixabay. (s.f.). Pixabay – Free images & royalty-free stock. https://pixabay.com

Some images included in this post are my own (Images by the author).

Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. (n.d.). Campus Virtual. https://www.uclm.es/campusvirtual