Educating in uncertain times

This inaugural lecture of the 2020-2021 academic year addresses the meaning of education in uncertain times and its consequences for curriculum, teacher training, and educational research. These are times fraught with questions: What does public education mean today? What curriculum should we teach in these uncertain times? What kind of teachers do we need? What educational research should we support? What have we learned from this crisis? How long will that learning last? My lecture aims to be an invitation to reflect on and debate some of these unresolved issues we face in these times of educational uncertainty.

First, we begin with the context of public education systems. Defending public schools means defending one of the most important pillars of our society; a pillar that, when it has existed, has fostered coexistence, the development of knowledge, the acquisition of civic values, and the deepening of democracy. Second, we analyze the curriculum and the need to review what is taught in schools (and universities). Next, we focus on teacher training, a key element in the process of educational change. Finally, we address the need to reconsider the orientation, meaning, and scope of educational research—an essential element for the production and transfer of educational knowledge to society. This lesson concludes with proposals for the improvement and development of education in these uncertain times.

We must learn to speak without fear of the unpredictable, the imponderable, the risky, the uncertain. Only with a passion for knowledge and for living with dignity can we learn to discern the uncertainty we are capable of enduring, for that will be a sign of profound self-knowledge and understanding of the time we spend in life.

This inaugural lesson for the 2020-2021 academic year deals with the meaning of education in uncertain times and its consequences for the curriculum, teacher training and research in education. Times that are plagued by questions: what does public education mean today? What curriculum to teach in these uncertain times? What teachers do we need? Whateducationalresearchshouldwepromote? What have we learned from this crisis? How long will that learning last? Mylesson wants to be an invitation to reflect and debate on some of these pending subjects that we have in these times of uncertain education.

First, start from the context of public education systems. To defend the public school is to defend one of the most important pillars of our society; to grasp that, when it has existed, you have allowed coexistence, the development of knowledge, the acquisition of civic and citizen values ​​​​and the deepening of democracy. In a second moment, we analyze the curriculum, and the need to review what istaught in schools (and in universities). Next, we focus teacher training, a keypiece in the process of change in education. And finally, we address the need to reconsider the orientation, meaning and projection of educational research. An essential element for the production and transfer of educational knowledge to society. Finish this lesson by making proposals for health improvement and development of education in these uncertain times.

We have to learn to speak without fear of the unpredictable, the imponderable, the risky, the uncertain. Only with a passion to know and live with dignity can we learn to discern the uncertainty that we are capable of supporting, as that will be a sign of deep knowledge of ourselves and of the life span we use.