Imagine that after comparing prices and conditions you enjoy a hotel for your holiday. And when you get to the hotel, they charge you the same, but they have changed all the services they promised. In fact, the direction of the hotel chain has decided that it needs to be changed. What would you do?

Well, that's happening with the offer from public high schools. Once the preterm is completed, the innovation managers of the Department of Education are modifying the rules of the game, which affects the offer of the centers.

The Department of Education of the Basque Government has just published the basis of the programme so that the school sessions of the Compulsory Secondary Education centres of the public network will be only tomorrow. This programme will be implemented in the course of 22/23, i.e. the next course. The bases have not been consulted with the representatives of the workers, and as I know, nor with the representatives of families and students.

The private network is not mentioned. I believe that they will continue to have autonomy to organise themselves as they wish.

This program aims to improve the quality and equity of education, offering free activities for students and families, such as academic reinforcement sessions provided by the center's faculty.

It is a programme similar to that which has existed so far and involving many institutes.

In the mornings there was a normal class and in the evenings, refresher or refresher sessions were held for which the faculty considered it appropriate. In some institutes, besides the teaching staff of the center, students also participated in the sessions, and the higher students supported those of the lower levels, obtaining a very satisfactory result. In addition, the library was open in the evenings.

Also, teachers and families organized repairing workshops for bicycles, dance, kitchen, parkour, reading workshop... This program involved the entire educational community, from the management team to the youngest students, including families, faculty and non-teaching staff.

The program consisted of three evaluations per academic year, involving the management of the institute, the students, the family and the educational inspection. In the event that the inspector noted that it was being done badly, he proposed improvement measures. And there was always an opportunity not to give the project the next course, because it was misplaced.

The Department has called for its implementation next year with an important nuance: the compulsory involvement of the Institute's Management. It is a prerequisite for an institute to be able to participate in the programme. That is, for students to benefit from a project that aims to improve the quality and equity of the program, the management has had to present a commitment to maintain the group for at least four courses, with a management project. This is the only form of involvement that the Department understands.

What reading can be extracted?

The Department is very keen that the institutes should have stable management teams. Totally reasonable. But I think they're not good ways. An institute cannot be forced to set up a management team to be able to participate in an educational programme. So they punish institutes that don't have a group. Students may not participate in the programme even if they so wish. So is the cloister. A cloister involved with the students, who believes in the program, is out of the call.

The Department will have to figure out why they appoint management teams by fingers, not by volunteers. There are many institutes in this situation. I have to admit that I do not know the reality of other countries, but in Álava, at least, there are several centres without a project, and the concern of the cloisters and families who know the role of the department is important.

I do not believe that the lack of a management project necessarily means that in that institute the entire campus are teachers without motivation and involvement. It is the responsibility of the Department to analyse the cause and take action. But don't push.

An institute with stable management, with an educational project covering different areas, is already rewarded. The management team itself and that project. In general, they do so because the volunteers who submit the project to the center are involved. And that, almost always, is in the interest of the institute itself. They are not presented for prestige, pay or other selfish reasons. The leadership of an institute doesn't give it.

I do not agree that an institute should be rewarded, that is, an exclusivity to participate in some educational quality programmes, while the others remain outside.

I shall end with two points:

The deadline for delivery of the call will be from the end of April to 27 May. The resolution will be known in June. When will the Institute's schedule be communicated to families? Families who have made the premature at an institute have done so on the basis of an offer, including schedule and project. Are you going to change it now? Isn't it a fraud driven by the education department?

I have not talked about the working conditions of teachers. The new programme makes these conditions worse. And if the time is in the morning and in the afternoon, it can be an obstacle to conciliation. This probably motivates faculty and management.

And why is the demand for public institutions only?

* Peio Salazar was director at a college and is a member of the Steilas trade union