The Catalan education ministry has announced its proposal for the composition of the committee of experts which the executive and the parliamentary groups agreed on at the education summit on December 19th to propose short, medium and long-term measures to reverse the declining academic standards detected by reports such as last year's PISA results. The ministry is to present the Catalan cabinet with a list of 18 names to promote actions that will contribute to educational improvements and it proposes that this body be coordinated and led by Jesús Vinyes, the current president of the senior consultative organ for the sector, the School Council (Consell Escolar). Among the 18 members, there will be a primary, secondary and vocational training (FP) teacher, respectively; three management representatives from public educational centres and two from charter schools; three people from educational organizations; four teachers with expertise in early education and/or outstanding careers; a representative of families and a representative of the "local world".
After the meeting before Christmas between the Catalan government and the parliamentary parties, it was agreed that the members should be from a range of profiles, with the presence of teachers and representation of the diversity between the different educational levels, the diversity across Catalan territory, the complexities of centres and of public and charter schools. Although it was initially said that it would be made up of around 15 people, the proposal of the department led by minister Anna Simó contemplates 18 members. In a press release, the education ministry states that the members of the committee will begin "deliberating" at the beginning of the second school term - next week - and that it will be at the beginning of February when "a return will be made to the parliamentary groups with the details of the first conclusions so that the groups can have an impact". The next stage will be to finish the work, elevate it to the parliamentary groups and to the School Council, with the aim that "other members of the educational community can finish enriching" the debate. Specifically, the report is expected to detail priority measures to implement in the next school year 2024-2025 and also future initiatives in more depth.
Jesús Vinyes, proposed as technical coordinator
To coordinate the committee of 18 experts, the education ministry has put the name of Jesús Vinyes Cirera, who currently chairs the School Council of Catalonia, on the table. He specializes in psychopedagogy and, within the education sector, he has been a teacher, education inspector and deputy director general of the Inspectorate. In fact, he was the first president of the Association of Education Inspectors of Catalonia; as well as director of the Territorial Services of Education in the Vallès Occidental county and a professor at the University of Barcelona and the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
As for the teachers, the primary education representative will be Mercè Mas (teacher, La Roureda school in Sant Esteve Sesrovires); for secondary, Víctor Saura, teacher and educational journalist, and for Vocational Training, Francesc Roca (retired from September 2023, he taught at Institut Comte de Rius in Tarragona). In relation to school management, the three representatives from public schools will be appointed by the Central Board of Public School Management at a meeting on January 9th. For the charter centres, the proposed members are Montserrat Jiménez (pedagogical director of La Vedruna de Palafrugell) and Joan Vila (director of Pia Balmes School). From educational organizations: Raül Manzano (works at the Segrià Pedagogical Resource Centre in teacher training and educational innovation), Marta Pujadó (teacher and pedagogical coordinator for Institut Vapor del Fil) and Albert Bayot (director and teacher at the Insitut Sarrià de Ter). The four teachers with early education expertise and/or outstanding careers: Coral Regí, Digna Couso, Carme Ortoll and Elvira Borrell. Finally, the families representative will be Mireia de Mingo (sustainability technician for the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) and, on behalf of local communities, Sílvia Lombarte (manager of the municipal pre-school care firm Bressolgramenet SA and director of nursery schools for Santa Coloma de Gramenet city council).