The History and Geography of the Canary Islands cannot be an option in the education of the students of our land. Within the Educational System of the Canary Islands, these subjects must have their own space, not only as subjects that deal with their study but as a transversal axis of all learning. The current curricula make an attempt to establish some Canarian content within them, but they are insufficient to build an identity and self-centered view of the Canary Islands. Therefore, the literature, art, sports, culture, history or geography of our islands must be present in a more significant way within the curricula of all areas.
The new State Education Law (LOMLOE) offers the possibility of increasing our Autonomous Community's competence to set curricula by up to 40 percent. However, instead of taking advantage of this possibility to reinforce Canarian content within the curricula of all stages of the educational system, the Ministry of Education proposes to make the area of "Geography and History of the Canary Islands" optional, without taking into account the opinion of the educational community and, in particular, that of the teachers responsible for these subjects.
Currently, the teachers who teach Geography and History in ESO are overwhelmed by the immense amount of material that must be taught in only three weekly sessions, being forced to cut content related to the geography and history of the Canary Islands, leaving this in the background. In this sense, the subject "History and Geography of the Canary Islands" allows teachers to delve into more concrete and specific aspects in a more practical way, so keeping this area as mandatory is essential.
However, this abandonment by the Ministry of Education to prioritize and promote Canarian content is not only observed in the secondary stage, but extends through all educational stages. Their presence in the curriculum is very scarce and ambiguous, so educational centers and, ultimately, teachers, are the ultimate responsible in the exercise of imparting this knowledge. This leads to a significant inequality when comparing the knowledge that students from different educational centers on our islands may have of our geography, history or culture. In addition, on too many occasions these contents are reduced to what publishers adapt for the Canary Islands in their textbooks, of dubious veracity and little content in most cases.
Thus, in the introduction of the curriculum of "History and Geography of the Canary Islands" it is stated: "There is no doubt that inhabiting a place does not guarantee its knowledge, therefore this subject invites students and teachers to take a trip to the Canary Islands of all times, from the present, because it is in the today and in the now where a historical heritage that has been bequeathed to us by previous generations is materialized and that its most effective safeguard depends on our educational practice".
In this way, the Ministry of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands, responsibility of the PSOE, should not only maintain the subject of History and Geography of the Canary Islands as mandatory, but should also guarantee students the acquisition of knowledge and skills that allow the construction of a Canarian society that walks together from the idiosyncrasy of each island, knowing well its history and culture, on which to build in the present a sustainable future respectful of our traditions, our environment and our way of being Canarian men and women.
In the words of Cesar Manrique: "We have, now more than ever, to fight to erase the prevailing daily vulgarity, to face with clarity and quality an education that enriches men through culture and art. A people without education is condemned to ruin".
Arminda Barreto Piñel is a teacher specializing in foreign language and English at CEIP La Asomada-Mácher. Member of Nueva Canarias in the municipality of Tías.