Melilla already has 28 educational centers with a Digital Plan and 1,163 teachers certified in digital competence, thanks to the technical advice of the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF) of the Ministry of Education and Professional Training.
The Secretary of State for Education, Abelardo de la Rosa, in the Closing Day of the Plan for the Improvement of Digital Competence, which is being carried out in the IES Virgen de la Victoria, has defended the full integration of digital competence as a key element of the citizenship of the 21st century: “There is no complete social inclusion without digital competition. And there is no effective democratic participation if we do not train our citizens in this new form of communication and action.”
“The future is not expected, it is anticipated, it is prepared and managed”, he assured in reference to the ambitious national program that has already certified about 700,000 teachers and has provided more than 22,000 educational centers throughout Spain with specific digital plans.
During his speech, the representative of the Ministry pointed out that digitalization cannot remain a technical improvement, but must involve a profound transformation of the educational system fundamental axes: didactic methodologies, the creation of networks that guarantee the continuity of the service in the face of emergencies, the ethical and critical use of technologies (especially artificial intelligence), and the integral digitalization of the centers, without abandoning the human accompaniment of the teachers.
“Nothing is closed today. Today begins the true silent revolution of education,” he stressed, noting that teacher training is only the first step in a process that must fundamentally transform educational practice. “The digital must be transversal, ethical and human.”
During his speech he also highlighted the investment made in technological equipment to guarantee access for all students, highlighting the distribution of devices and the investment of more than 300,000 euros in Melilla, aimed at strengthening digital equity.
Digital and human education
The Provincial Director of Education of Melilla, Elena Fernández Treviño, for her part, has claimed the role of Melilla as an example of the impulse to the educational digital transformation in Spain and has taken stock of the progress of the centers in matters of digitalization. In addition, he has taken the opportunity to thank the collective effort of teachers, advisors and students.
“Technological innovation has meant a paradigm shift in education. But this path does not end today: it is the starting point towards a more humane, critical and inclusive education”, said Fernández Treviño before an auditorium composed of management teams, teachers and ministry officials.
The Provincial Director stressed that during the pandemic the Government of Spain allocated 7 million euros to the education of Melilla, an investment "that came to stay" and that has been reinforced by European funds.
Fernández Treviño has valued the work of teachers, “key in the training of digitally competent, critical and creative citizens”, and has also recognized the ability of students to adapt. “Students are the protagonists of change. Although they grow as digital natives, this process has also been a challenge for them,” he said.
Three fundamental ideas have centred his message: that digital competence is essential in today’s world, that technology must be inclusive and that education must always maintain a humanist approach. “No matter how advanced artificial intelligence is, education still depends on the people who guide the use of technology with values,” he said.
“These days are not the end, but the beginning of a digitally competent, but above all human and transformative education,” he concluded.