More research for better education

Catalonia has an outstanding challenge in using research to lead the education system and respond to the challenges linked to education.

Public investment in educational R&D is very low when compared to other key areas such as health. There is a lack of leadership from the public authorities to ensure that a significant part of the research in education carried out in Catalonia responds to existing challenges, such as school dropouts or the digital divide, and to empowering professionals and educational centres.

There is now a high degree of evidence gathered through local and international research that is relevant to education policy. However, this knowledge is often not understood or appropriated by key actors and is therefore not used to inform policy or improve practices. At the same time, opportunities for learning and improvement are being missed because most educational programmes and policies are not thoroughly assessed.

For this reason, we ask the Government of the Generalitat and the Parliament of Catalonia to highlight the urgency of developing, during this legislature, a Plan for Fundamental Educational Policy, with 16 key measures to overcome the separation between knowledge and educational policy, once and for all.

Improving the connection between the leadership of the system and knowledge in education is essential and urgent: the quality and fairness of our education system in the coming decades depends on it.