The teachers’ centres*

Since 1972 the universities have been entrusted with the training of future teachers. Teachers for EGB (and now for primary education) were required to take a three-year course at ‘university schools’. Secondary teachers have had to complete a five-year course leading to a Licenciatura in a particular discipline, followed by a one-year course providing pedagogical training. There was a common entrance examination open to holders of the Bachillerato for the university schools, and this had a pass rate of 95 per cent, with no interviews. The university schools enjoy relatively low prestige (by contrast with the prestigious university faculties) and conduct little research. For holders of the Licenciatura wanting to enter state (but not private) secondary teaching it has been necessary to take a one-year course, heavily academic and traditionally containing relatively little teaching practice, leading to a Certificate of Pedagogical Aptitude (CAP), offered by the Institutes of Education and Science (ICEs) (Morgenstern de Finkel, 1991). Plans for primary training approved by the Consejo de Universidades in 1991, and awaiting legislation, propose seven core subjects in education, plus teaching practice, together with subject training and corresponding teaching methods. The long delay in implementation of reform of initial training has been accompanied by the promotion of in-service education, under the particular charge of the teachers’ centres since 1984. In this chapter, Morgenstern de Finkel offers a critique of the teachers’ centres, with particular reference to the recruitment of personnel, the degree of their commitment to reform and the programmes that they offer.