One of the most important social rights that has been recognized throughout history is education as a fundamental factor in the formula of sustainable social development, both in countries classified as Third World and in those that are industrialized. However, the versions of social vindication are distant in both cases, as in many subjects, on the true relevance of this right in modern society. To take clear references, the European, Asian and Latin American models must be observed.
In the European case, the most exposed example is in Finland, a country with advanced development of its academic programs that risks abandoning traditions in search of new alternatives for the instruction of all levels of training, innovating more and more in the development of new academic plans. Its strategy is based on the premise of social changes over time. Today modern society cannot even be compared to that of ten years ago, nor can that be compared to the generation that was born more than thirty years ago.
But this innovation in the education model does not start with the opening of university quotas nor with standardized education in all institutions; On the contrary, school autonomy is a subject that represents academic freedom even in public institutions that can implement novel parameters with ideas that are built among all, observing education from early childhood as the most important category in the formation of the individual..
It is not just an exceptional Finnish case. Germany, France, the United Kingdom and especially countries that directly suffered the consequences of the World Wars, are currently committed to being in continuous transformation of education to prepare now for the society of the future.
In Asia various nuances of education can be given due to their extension and grouping of various cultures in their territory, from Arabic, through Russian and Hindu to Chinese, but it is particularized in that they maintain strong standards of tradition for instruction in all grades of schooling with a certain freedom of thought in the creative sphere - not so much in the political sphere - at the peak of academic life.
These traditions are characterized by having strong cultural and religious components accepted by the State or standardized by society that seek to maintain the status quo but with progressive components in the creativity and intellect of the new generations. Their goal will no longer be to completely transform the world in the future, but to endure their own culture and their coexistence with global advancement.
Within the traditionalist-progressive model, the People's Republic of China, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea should be highlighted, where certain cultural behaviors are still maintained that are too conservative in the Western world but maintain a balance with the overwhelming progress of their social development in education.
These two models, the European and the Asian (especially the countries of Indochina), have a very important thing in their philosophy since the post-war periods they have suffered: recognizing that education is the only way to rebuild a society, providing certain tools to the population so that by its own intellect it formulates ideas for change, either freely transforming society or enduring culture and religion with scientific progress.
All of the above to enter the most complex case in the world: Latin America. Here there is an interesting phenomenon in the development of education because it starts from a culture that puts this social aspect below the other social issues. From the beginnings of Latin American sovereignty, that is, after the independence of the European empires, education is not seen as a really essential matter, but rather it is about solving internal organization, corruption, economic policy, peace, the rhetoric of democracy and the recognition of individual liberties.
This generates that at present the subject of education in Latin America is an ideal to build, a kind of dream that wants to come true but other debates are always put forward and the essential is never analyzed in depth, leaving a generation lag in generation.
Undoubtedly, it must be recognized that in some way history gives a space to the construction of this ideal as the Argentine case where the concept of university autonomy became evident and developed widely, which went from being a social principle of institutions to being considered a faculty constitutional in all Latin American countries, with the notable Cuban exception for the totalitarian regime.
This fact shows another very interesting thing. In general, Latin American culture tries to reform education from higher education, seeking greater social inclusion and forgets that early childhood and adolescence are times where constant systematic change is more relevant, it is a topic that does not enter into debate - except when there are international tests of knowledge such as the PISA - which results in the same model of thirty or forty years ago, even a colonial method, being continued today in public schools and colleges.
It is enough to ask an older person what the model of education was like, and omitting the fact of corporal punishment, the methodology remains in the pedagogy of elementary instruction: an academic program to follow to the letter, a board, many armchairs with tables a window and the same materials.
The foregoing derives from the fact that Latin American society, in general, does not see education as an important issue and that means that the future generation is not really preparing for what is coming globally. Ultimately, the true focus of the instruction being delivered to children and adolescents is not known for sure.
That unpredictability in future generations brings serious risks in trying to solve all other social problems. How to know if the anti-corruption policies that are implemented now will serve in twenty years, if the culture of transparency is not instilled from the elementary level? How long will peace and real and effective democracy be maintained if, from the basics, the methods of decades or perhaps centuries are still maintained?
This criticism of the Latin American model of education is also addressed to the promoters of the university reform, because it is not enough to modify an entire higher structure, provide it with a perfect infrastructure and expand coverage if there are serious gaps, deficiencies and A strong teaching tradition is maintained with almost zero levels of progress.
This reflection concludes with the invitation to analyze from the social and political standpoint the reform of preschool, basic primary, basic secondary and complementary or vocational secondary education. Should we continue with a model from decades ago or must we transform society from what is really important?
SANTIAGO CARDOZO CORRECHA
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