The XXIX Ibero-American Education Conference, which brings together the ministers of the sector, is being held this Thursday in Barcelona with the aim of reaching a series of common conclusions after the day to improve its provision. The Minister of Education, Milagros Tolón, opened the event highlighting the challenge of raising the educational level to avoid perpetuating “inequality and expanding opportunities for decent employment.” “We need education to function as a social elevator,” she pointed out.
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The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, participated in the opening event where he emphasized that his Government pursues equity and educational inclusion in this area, which are also the “common thread” of the forum. “I trust that the agreements will become a solid foundation and a compass to build a fairer and more fraternal Ibero-American space,” he said.
The forum is focused on four areas: the impact of artificial intelligence; Vocational Training as a tool to improve employment and boost innovation; resilience as a way to preserve democracy; and finally, climate emergencies and cyberattacks as threats. “At the center of all challenges is equity and how we combat segregation and distribute resources,” Tolón stressed.
The session is a prelude to the Ibero-American summit to be held in November in Madrid. “Ibero-American cooperation has enormous political value. It must translate into effective cooperation. We want to come out with concrete agreements and a common educational agenda,” the minister stated. In the same vein, Illa emphasized that an agenda that is equitable, inclusive, and of quality with investment as the best path is essential. “Catalonia assumes these challenges with co-responsibility,” he said at a time when education maintains a serious conflict with the Government in Catalonia with mobilizations and strikes. “Our maxim is to do well and do good, which translates into excellence and putting ourselves at the service of social justice and the most vulnerable,” he stressed.
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The forum was born in 1991 in Guadalajara (Mexico) and as José Federico Viola, Deputy Secretary General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, explained, it has consolidated as a cooperation space that covers 150 million students, from basic, middle, and higher education, and between 12 to 15 million teachers. About 80% of the countries in the region have plans and strategies for educational digital transformation although nearly 30% of students in vulnerable areas have limited or low-quality Internet access. “We hope this forum is not only a space for exchange but a turning point,” he said.
Mariano Jabonero, Secretary General of the Organization of Ibero-American States, lamented that the crisis of multilateralism has triggered a 21% decrease in cooperation plans and cited as an example that the contribution of global GDP to education has fallen from 5% to 3%. “The decline in cooperation indicates that the collaboration of countries is not a priority but a rivalry. We continue to bet on a transformative and prosperity policy,” he emphasized.
