Smells like ... victory Many remember to
Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now
saying that the "
I love the smell of napalm morning. "After razing an enemy town with the infamous slaughter recalls another similar substance finishing the sentence with" smelled like ... victory. "It was one way of seeing the horror of war, the horror that is the subject central film
Coppola (father Francis, not the girl).
Reading today
Ministry's note and the statements of Eva Almunia, the number two on the Education-
publication Education at a Glance 2010 not know why, I have remembered that phrase. The EAG 2010, or Education at a Glance 2010, English version, is an annual publication of the OECD
in which are reviewed through a series of indicators more or less constant, the results of education and training in countries belonging to this organization (which includes, among others, all developed world countries .) Watch out, because there is a newsletter on education, but education on how to participate in the economy. Bias is interesting and not insignificant, of course, but it has, among other things because the OECD is an organization primarily economic.
Well, the ministry a few years ago, takes out a summary document
with, presumably, major data relating to Spain. In theory to facilitate the work of the press and interested public (who has time to look over a document 400 pages, full of tables and above in English), actually a twisted minefield of data and interpretations biased a manual on how to select a few data to give the impression that our educational system has an enviable health.
There are thus three documents: the press release, the "English summary" of the Ministry and the original publication in English in front EAG 2010. But let the press release
. The headline reads: "Over 80% of students aged between 15 and 19 years are further education. "What bullshit, I say, if 30% do not get the title of the ESO and the obstacles put Logse to continue studying without it, how will you follow more than 80%? But the abundant press release:
"Secretary of State for Education and Training, Eva Almunia, stated that 'the data on school and post qualification stage oblig (a) Tori allow us to be optimistic about the evolution of early exit, the main challenge of the system English education '[...]. In this regard, the report shows that in 2007/08 81% of students aged between 15 and 19 years continue education after high school, eight points more than in 2001. "
I'm going to summarize English, where they say (p. 12):
" Tuition fees for students 15 to 19 years provide an overview of the permanence of youth in education system after compulsory education. They are, therefore, a supplement that enriches the early dropout rate of education and training that prepares the European Union. Between 1995 and 2008, these rates have increased in Spain by eight points from 73% to 81%. "
But in the chart to which you refer and just put" student enrollment rates between 15 and 19 years (1995, 2000 and 2008) " (P. 13). Well, it turns out that school enrollment is a generic, not a particular stage (and I thought). Go to the original source: Table C.1 (page 303) is entitled "Trends in Enrolment rates (1995-2008)" (Trends in enrollment rates) and consists of two subtables, one for 15-19 years and another for 20-29 years. The first appears in the report of the Ministry, the second not (must be because in 1995 we had a 21% enrollment rate for 20-29 years, 24% in 2000 and in 2008 we are back in a 21%: the "effect logs, that does not forgive).
But what difference does it make whether a school enrollment rate generic or a school enrollment rate posobligatoria? As in most any country, but in a country where we have an absolutely excessive repetition rate, a lot. First, because at age 15 and repeated 42% of the students. Second, because 16 years is still 35% of students in secondary and even 12% at 17 (the data are the statistics of the Ministry for the 2007-08 academic year, specifically
here.) A repetition that had not been fired in 2000 and that there was in 1995 (then students were BUP or FP I / II).
What is the data that indicates how the situation has evolved schooling posobligatoria in Spain? In my opinion, the only comparable with 1995 and 2000 is the enrollment rate at 17 years, since it is the only year that is age for both Logse posobligatoria to the LGE and there are no students on campus. The evolution of this indicator is as follows (Table 8): 73.3% in 1995, 76.1% in 1998, since then small variations around 75% by 2008. Come on, no positive change, pure and simple stagnant for a decade. If you only count the posobligatoria (Table 9), then we have the 62.6% in 2000, 63.6% in 2001, 65% in 2002 and since then a gentle slope to 63.2% in 2008, last 'year Logse".En 2009, con la
mejora del fracaso , volvemos a subir hasta un 65,5% (lo siento, no tengo tiempo para un gráfico).
Ya hemos visto que el título de la nota es puro humo, y que el informe está bastante amañado en este caso. Pero no es el único ejemplo. Como sigue la nota de prensa:
"Asimismo, Panorama de la Educación 2010 señala el incremento en el número de alumnos que logran el título de Bachillerato o Formación Profesional de Grado Medio en el año que les corresponde y que se sitúa en un 73%, frente al 66% que lo lograba en 2001."
Pues tampoco me cuadra. Sobre todo, porque en España en 2008
se graduaron (Gross) in high school 44.7% of the population, and Intermediate FP 16.8%, giving us a total of 61.5% in upper secondary graduates. Nor do I block the data of 2001, 57.7% according to the Ministry. Nor that of 1995 (which appears in the "English report), 62% as the OECD and 56.3% in official statistics. I go to the original table (A2.2) on page 55 of EAG 2010, which does not explain too much, and the earlier (p. 54), where somewhat more of the calculation method (although not clear yet). What seems to make the OECD is to take both graduates in Baccalaureate FPGM-match-data and those who earn a professional certificate Level 2, which are awarded by Education but by Labour.
calculation method is valid for the OECD, but not for the results of an educational system. For starters, many of those who get it do so for over 25 years (in Spain do not know how many: it is a serious problem that our statistics do not ever know how old you get the titles.) Second, in any case the success for the Vocational Training System, part of Employment Services, Education, because the data are quite flat and there is a clear improvement (five points in 15 years, and with many variations.
could
continue with additional aspects of the note and the report, but this has been too long. For another day let the original text review.
is assumed that the "English report, prepared by the Evaluation Institute, would put" an emphasis on those comparative data that provide insights into the English education system in relation to our environment "(p. 7). Rather, selected positive data without putting them in the English context. And that assumes that the Institute is the clearest insight into our education system (has the data of all national assessments, which are not shared with anyone.) I was once told by his manager who was a specialist to see "the bright side of the mire." As I see, the Evaluation Institute is able to find, between the horror of our educational data, the smell of victory.