El plan de estudios ESO aumentará horas de enseñanza en matemáticas y esfuerzo valorado

The Minister of Education and Employment, Alberto Galiana, announced the modification of the decrees that establish the mandatory secondary education (ESO) and baccalaureate curriculum based on four key pillars: improving the culture of effort; strengthening instrumental subjects such as language and mathematics; providing autonomy to schools and simplifying assessment; and promoting European values.

Galiana, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Education, Universities, and Vocational Training, Miguel Ángel Fernández, and the Director General of Educational Innovation and Planning, Fabián Martín, presented in a press conference the modification of these decrees as «a cautious and effective reform,» which will be implemented by the 2025/2026 school year.

To «enhance the culture of effort,» Galiana explained that one of the changes is to incorporate «criteria to guide promotion and leave decisions in ESO» by the teaching staff. Regarding the consolidation of instrumental subjects, Galiana announced that four hours per week will be allocated to both subjects in all ESO courses. Specifically, in Spanish language and literature, the workload will increase in the second year, and in mathematics in the third year.

Additionally, all schools will offer two new optional subjects for mandatory instrumental reinforcement in the first and second years of ESO: the language competence workshop and the mathematics competence workshop.

On another note, the Deputy Minister of Education, Universities, and Vocational Training stated that the modification of both decrees will grant greater autonomy to schools and make assessment procedures more flexible. Specifically, «maximum percentages will be eliminated, previously set at 40 percent in this regard and 60 percent in secondary school for the same procedure.» He emphasized, «This ends the current decree intervention, so schools, in the exercise of their pedagogical autonomy, will determine these issues.»

In this regard, the mandatory nature of community service during ESO will also be eliminated. «A very problematic aspect for schools, as it required all students to complete at least 20 hours of community service outside the school curriculum,» said Fernández.

The fourth pillar that the decrees change in the curriculum is the promotion of European values, with an optional subject that will be mandatory for third-year students focusing on the Spanish Constitution, the autonomy status of La Rioja, and the European Union.

Martín detailed that this new subject is «essential and necessary to strengthen democratic coexistence.» The specific competencies of this subject will provide a greater understanding of the rule of law and democracy, our regional framework within the Spanish Constitution, and the organization of the European Union and its values.

FUENTE