Spain and Diversity Education SPAIN AND EARLY CHILDHOOD INTEGRATION

The world is coming to grips with the fact that in order for people to live together across an interconnected global community, they need to share some common educational foundations supported with common teaching approaches, tactics and technologies (Urban, 2009). This is why collaborative organizations like the European Union developed a set of common educational goals (in 2001) for 2010; goals that included advancing toward a life-long learning model and a desire to enable residents of member nations to thrive in neighboring nations (Wikipedia, 2010).

The reach of these goals has particular significance to countries with a Hispanic heritage. These nations have the potential to set guidelines for how other Hispanic nations and populations might better benefit from educational advancements (Columbia, 2004). Evidence of the importance of this can be seen in how two Hispanic countries have responded in recent years to a wide variety of conditions and expectations, Spain and Puerto Rico. In general, improvements and directions in Puerto Rico's educational system have mirrored those of the United States (Torres, nd). It has focused on testing, measurement and standardized expectations associated with the No Child Left Behind initiative and an emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) competency. Learning standards and expectations emerged for nearly all ages, including some early educational directives for preschoolers in an attempt to get them ready for improved test performances in higher grade levels.

Spain, on the other hand, turned its directions more toward the EU objectives, after having recovered from a wide-variety of educational shortcomings caused by the Franco regime. The numerous years of that dictatorial government resulted in an overall weak learning infrastructure, even though there were some notable examples of individuals being willing to challenge those conditions (Urban,...

Not surprising, early childhood education specifically did not begin until after 1975 as the country started taking its educational requirements more seriously. Sufficient progress occurred by the 1980s and 1990s to enable Spain to be one of a few countries in the EU that had developed a two-pronged level of instruction for its youngest students (Euridice, 2009), even though resources were still short of what was needed (Columbia, 2004). One part of that approach included incorporating preschool for ages three to six into the regular schooling system. Instructors were not considered caregivers but were identified as instructional personnel or instructional assistants, pretty much like teaching staff in the higher grades. For the very youngest of children (zero to three), who were recognized as being important in the development of life-long learning opportunities, separate programs were begun, also within the formal system. However, unlike the three to six-year-olds, the youngest programs were not compulsorily nor did they receive as much professional teaching or resource commitment. It appears that this fact remains true today (Urban, 2009).
Technically, the activities for all of these youngest of students are incorporated in Spain's educational system. In reality, however, they are viewed differently, have specific funding and resource challenges, and are being forced to address the realities of major legal and illegal immigration (Urban, 2009). And increasingly, there is a growing interest in the importance of how these youngsters may soon become the focus of attention as instructors, administrators and the community begin to look forward to the many implications of developing an educational infrastructure for a 21st Century Education (21st Century Schools, 2008). In looking at what is happening in countries like Spain (and Puerto Rico), educators will be made aware of diversity and language and cultural learning expectations geared toward a different future of learning.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

My proposed educational opportunity will be an educator's forum focusing on the current and future needs of Hispanic early learning conditions in Spain, with a particular focus of how that country is addressing current educational demands differently…