Mentre vaig fent tasques domèstiques - sí, a tots ens toca fer-ho - aquest matí poso la ràdio i escolto què diu la Sílvia Cóppulo al seu programa El Suplement.

He quedat garratibada.

S'han reunit a la taula una colla d'estudiants universitaris per explicar-nos quines són les seves expectatives de futur, davant la crisi actual. Estudiants d'ADE ( Admnistració i Direcció d'Empreses) i Periodisme/Comunicació, bàsicament.

Quatre apunts a l'engròs del que recordo:

•  P: Quina sortida té la teva carrera? R: Fer un màster
•  Jo, és que tinc les arrels aquí i marxar no ho veig clar. Per acabar de cambrera a un McDonalds a l'estranger...
•  A mí no se'm donen bé els idiomes, o sigui que no em plantejo marxar.
•  Treure's la carrera és fàcil. Costa entrar-hi, però després t'ho treus...

Les meves reflexions:

• Si aquests nois universitaris, que tenen entre 18 i 20 anys, ara no tenen ganes de menjar-se el món: quan ho pensen fer?
• Em sembla perfecte que les teves arrels siguin aquí. I tant! Però si amb 18 anys esperes que es vagin podrint mentre et surt una possible oportunitat, què hi penses fer?
• Si no se't donen bé els idiomes....hauries d'estar estudiant la carrera universitària que estudies?
• Si als teus pares la matrícula de la carrera els costa uns 3000€ + despeses allotjament/manteniment/transport + uns 8000€ que paguen la resta de contribuents per tal que puguis anar a la "Uni"...ha de ser "tan" fàcil treure's una carrera? Quin sistema tenim?

Aquests són comentaris d'universitaris. Per més inri, alguns estudiant ADE !

No m'ho puc creure. Si ens expliquessin que a "Riurelàndia" es munten Universitats per tenir la gent entretenida, a costa dels impostos de molts que treballen i que mai hi van poder anar, que les generacions que en surten ni es plantegen anar a buscar feina on sigui, que hi ha un esperit emprenedor que brilla per la seva absència....segur que ens fariem un fart de riure.

Si et diuen que Riurelàndia està passant al costat d'on visc jo...tinc una ràbia que em fa caure llàgrimes avall.

Perdoneu, cal canviar l'actitud. A la vostra edat, i amb una carrera universitària: agafeu les maletes. Anar a fer de cambrera al McDonalds potser et sembla una bajanada, però jo que he estat vivint a UK i patint tot el que representa treballar fora de casa, sí que sé que això té un valor.

Alerta, perquè ara podria ben ser que per donar-vos una feina  - a més de carrera, màster, postgrau, experiència , 3 idiomes ....- us demanin també que hàgiu viscut i treballat - del que sigui - a l'estranger. 

I llavors, què?

Vaig a prendre un altre cafè, potser resulta que entre planxa i planxa,

fer els llits i posar ordre a l'habitació m'he oblidat de prendre'l i no he entès res...

Avui he enviat aquesta carta per a ser publicada demà en els diaris que vulguin. Ja us diré com ha anat.
De moment, ho vull compartir amb vosaltres.

No sé si hauràs fet o no vaga el 29M. Tenies el dret a triar.
Tant en un cas com en l’altre, la meva opinió: GAME OVER. La festa s’ha acabat, definitivament. Ens agradi o no, ho vulguem acceptar o no.
De veritat creus que algú té “la resposta” a la crisi? Governs de dreta? D’esquerra?Sindicats? Treballadors?Empresaris? Els mercats? Europa?...
Jo crec que no. Comença una partida ara mateix, la teva partida, la que et farà sortir del forat. Tens formació? contactes? passaport? amics? idees? somnis pendents de fer realitat?...No calen diners necessàriament. Al món hi ha lloc per tothom. Pren decisions. Mentre uns parlen n’hi ha que ja estan fent via.
Digue’m capitalista, privilegiada, demagògica, nena-de-papà….el que vulguis. Jo et proposo que facis un reset, si vols recollir comença a llaurar el teu camp per poder sembrar…ara mateix, no esperis més.

Xela Falgueras

PUBLICADA A
La Vanguardia 31-03-2012
El Punt- Avui 02-04-2012

impossible task?

We've just accepted that in Catalonia we are about to change the school year calendar to shorten summer holidays. The debate still goes on, since balancing a quality private life and work is proving to be impossible for most of the families. Childcare, extra activities, help from relatives... all sort of solutions don't seem to be working well enough, since they are either expensive or energy consuming for both the children and people willing to give a hand.
I always thought the British working system was quite flexible and contemplated this issue in a quite balanced way. Unfortunately, in this article one can read that the problems are repeating themselves elsewhere.
With the economic crisis going around and many families having only one member in the working market, models may revert to the old ones: one parent is the "provider" , the other is the "home carer"...the only issue is that the home carer may have to be the man...I don't think in Spain many men are ready for it yet.


Read the full article and reader's comments at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/29/woring-hours-childcare#start-of-comments

"Some of my students can't get to think. If I ask them to write an essay, they can just cut and paste from texts found around the internet to produce it. Their thinking skills are close to none" ( M.B., professor at University, talking about her students of Modern History).

" At home I have to practice some grimaces to use when I want my students to behave. I try to avoid eye contact with them when I have to tell them off. This is the best way to reduce agressivity on their part" ( F.T., secondary school teacher, talking about disciplining her students)

I invite to read the following texts:

1 -"What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?"

2- "Children are now tyrants...they no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize over their teachers."

Do they sound familiar ? Then, be surprised to know that the first one was written by Plato and the second one by Socrates about 2300 years ago.

It looks like older generations have some difficulties to accept younger people's ways of behaving and doing things... and this has persisted along the times.

When I was young, I would do cut & paste from texts in books and then type them on the paper. That took longer than nowadays with searching engines and computers, but basically the actions were the same. Of course, as I grew up, I would insert my personal input and comments. Would you say my thinking skills are close to none ? Well, I wouldn't.

Would you say a child can write only when he/she can handwrite ? If a child is able to type letters in a keyboard , making these letters readable, would you say he/she is able to write?

We should be able to accept that ways of doing things change and evolve, and see what is the real essence of what we do. Moreover, we should also take into account the utility of the skills we learn and want our students to develop. What is more important: what I already know, or the skills I have that will make me able to learn new things?

My conclusion: if you are not a digital native, either become an immigrant or at least get into their shoes to understand them. Because, it is a fact of life; the new generations think different, they behave different and they do things in a different way... and I am convinced this will allow them to grow up and continue to build the world.