LOMLOE, LOMCE, LOE…Stage Objectives, Leaver Profile, Contents, Assessment Criteria, Key Competences…Aaaaargh! If you’re still tearing your hair out about these terms, what they are and how to relate them to your topics, syllabus and units, or simply apply them in the classroom if you’re already teaching, you’re in the same boat as many of the teachers in Spain.
Adapting to the new legislation is a constant test of endurance. Often, by the time you’ve figured out what the new one means, another government has come along and changed everything again. As an opositora in 2015, my syllabus was based on the LOE. Then, when I began my NQT year, I had to adapt to the LOMCE and its not so practical estándares de aprendizaje, which we grappled with for a few years. Now that the LOMCE has been repealed, after a year of transition, we’re going full LOMLOE, which means that a complete understanding of Learning Situations and Competency-Based learning is required, as well as the use of ICT, knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, and a whole host of other bits and pieces.
I’m fortunate that my work as a profesora de inglés, preparadora and teacher trainer, complement each other. I need to know the legislación educativa inside out in order to prepare my classes, teach my students and help my oposiciones candidates.
On a personal note, I’m very proud of the fact that I’m able to read, understand, and explain educational legislation and the Spanish curriculum better than many of my colleagues, which is quite a feat given that I’m a native English speaker and actually studied English and French at university, not Spanish. I gained my C2 in Spanish back in 2019, but I feel like the ultimate goal of any linguist is to be able to decipher legislative documents in the target language, castellano in this case, without difficulty, and even have a crack at other official languages like gallego, catalán, valenciano and euskera. Maybe I’m crazy, but it’s a personal challenge that I feel I’ve achieved with flying colours, although I’d say there’s always room for improvement because, after all, we never stop learning.
In my opinion, the current LOMLOE has a lot of advantages. Its aim is to bring teaching and learning into the 21st century and make our subjects relevant to the world around us. It also promotes active teaching methodologies, differentiation and the integration of digital resources which are ever-present in our technological society.
However, it’s extremely difficult for teachers nowadays to find the time to get their heads around all of the ever-changing laws and adapt to endless assessment procedures. We spend more time trying to work out what is expected of us with regard to the legislation, than we do planning our classes and dedicating our time to our students. We’re fed up of having to act like puppets for new governments to try out their “new” ideas which are often copied and pasted from previous legislation and given a different name. Let us do our jobs. Let us educate!
As a state teaching exam candidate, please be aware that legislation is not something that you can brush under the carpet. It’s also not as difficult as it seems once it’s explained to you piece by piece. I imagine that this year there are many people who passed the exams and “got away with” not knowing much about the LOMLOE or how to evaluar por competencias, mainly because most of the teaching staff in Spain, including plenty of tribunal members, are still waiting for instructions from our regional governments to understand exactly what is expected of them. However, for next year, assuming the law doesn’t change again as a result of this summer’s surprise elections – and it’s unlikely they’ll have time to make any immediate sweeping changes – more and more tribunal members are going to be mastering the new currículo, and that means that you need to too.
If you decide to go it alone, study the legislation thoroughly and don’t get caught out on the day of the exam by trying to wing it. And if you feel more comfortable getting help from a preparador, make sure they know what they’re talking about before you decide to work with them. Good luck!
Glossary
tearing your hair out – to be extremely anxious about something.
in the same boat – to be in the same difficult situation as other people.
NQT year – “Newly Qualified Teacher” in the UK system, where you still receive training and have to complete a series of tasks. In Spanish this is known as the prácticas.
Repealed – when a law is no longer valid, usually replaced by another law.
quite a feat – a significant accomplishment (“no mean feat” is similar).
have a crack at – to try to do something, even if you’re unsure of how successful the result will be.
with flying colours – with distinction.
differentiation – the action of distinguishing between two or more things or people. In education, this is relevant to the Universal Design Learning (UDL) methodology and attention to diversity, in which we recognise every child is unique and learns in different ways.
get their heads around – to try to understand a confusing or complicated concept.
brush under the carpet – to make an attempt to ignore something or not reveal its existence.
go it alone – to do something by yourself.
wing it – to try to do or explain something without previous preparation or practice.
