98% of Andalucía's secondary school teachers are demotivated

'Demotivation is catching'

ANDALUCÍA A recent survey by one the region's  unions (Central Sindical Independiente y de Funcionarios (CSIF) de Andalucía) has found that 98% of teachers are 'disillusioned' and 'demotivated' with their jobs, according to a press release. Among the reasons: lack of respect from students, more working hours, an alleged bureaucratic 'harassment' and lack of support from the administration. Teachers complain of the 'progressive deterioration' of their work conditions, and about the 'intrinsic difficulties' in the education of students at these ages. (More detailed articles on Education will soon be available at SpainInformer.cm)

Bishops choose teachers and taxpayer pays for them

SPAIN One of the more curious things about the relationship between Church and State is the agreement signed in 1979 between the Vatican and Madrid, whereby teachers of religion at all schools are chosen -presumably for their 'religious correctness'- by the local Archbishop, but are paid for by the Education Departments of each region, that is, by the taxpayer. They now receive an average net salary of €2,000 per month, which is established at the same level as their 'normal' colleagues. At present there are some 13,000 such teachers, very few of whom want to be catechists (teachers of the Catholic Church doctrine). Their job security depends on their 'correctness', as is shown by the case of María del Carmen Galayo, who lost her job (later recovered but rejected on principle) because she was 'living in sin'>>>

"Education system flooded by the mediocre"

CÁDIZ PROVINCE (Agencies) Economist Rafael Carbó says, "If a company is looking for engineers but the labour market offers only brick layers, we have a problem." His words come to illustrate the dangerously low level of the province's educational results. Cádiz has the lowest per capita income of the country, undoubtedly a consequence of its 'pathetic' education system. A survey of 170 students at 2nd Level Teacher's Training (Magisterio) revealed that 93% admitted to not having a vocation. They were studying to become a civl servant, as good as a 'job for life'. The system that creates teachers does so by measuring only their capacity for memorization. In the North of Europe, where teachers get the respect they deserve as the 'guardians of the future', public administrations give them an indefinite employment contract that allows them to be evaluated over a period of time. If they are not suited, alternatives can and will be found within the system. "Anything else," concludes Carbó, "and the system gets flooded by the mediocre."