The Evolution of Education Systems and Economic Impact
Education Today
Historical Perspective
Typically, we associate education with lectures delivered in purpose-built facilities. However, before the invention of the printing press in 1454, access to culture and knowledge was limited to certain privileged classes, as the circulation and distribution of hand-copied books were scarce. Since the advent of printing, literacy rates have increased in most industrialized and developing countries.
Literacy allows us to be better informed about world events and our immediate surroundings, thereby granting us greater choice and freedom. Schools and universities today are the fundamental pillars of education in modern societies, although knowledge is also transmitted in other spaces.
Until relatively recently, around the 1960s, what might be called the classical system prevailed. This involved a physical space—a school or university, for example—where teachers imparted programmed subjects to students. Joining the classical system in the 1960s were distance learning centers, such as distance universities. In Spain, the first distance university was the National University of Distance Education (UNED), created in 1970. Others followed, such as the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), established in 1990.
This type of educational system is characterized by:
- Students connect and interact via the Internet and virtual forums.
- Online campuses serve as internet portals providing all necessary information for students and teachers.
- Email is used as a primary communication tool between students, teachers, and tutors.
- Digital libraries serve as the main bibliographic resources.
- They are aimed at individuals seeking to combine their careers with their studies.
Education and the Economic System
From the late 19th century, the demand for trained and prepared manpower for the growing industrialization process led to increased enrollment. Specialized work skills and professions emerged that could no longer be transmitted simply from generation to generation (e.g., father to son). In short, schooling needed to be extended to the entire population. The knowledge sought by companies primarily included reading, writing, mathematical calculation, and general culture.
Since then, schools and universities have aimed to prepare new generations of citizens and professionals to participate in the life and economic development of society. Knowledge and learning became associated with the idea of prosperity, both individually and collectively. Thus, a new debate about education opened within certain intellectual circles.
For teachers and intellectuals, universities and schools must educate cultured citizens with a critical perspective on the world and society. Conversely, companies sought technicians capable of meeting economic challenges, believing schools should focus solely on training them. According to this view, the education system should operate according to the dictates of the economic system, focusing exclusively on preparing these professionals.