We welcome the new AGREEMENT within the Catalan university system regarding the Personal Aptitude Tests (PAP) for education

At the time, our eight years of experience with the Personal Aptitude Tests (PAP) revealed numerous unforeseen anomalies in our approach to interpreting our objectives as a "system." Originally aiming to incorporate vocational, aspirational, and motivational dimensions into the tests, we found ourselves constrained to focusing solely on instrumental competence. Even this aspect lacked integration with personal interviews with candidates. Consequently, we insisted on experimental validation of the final test design to ensure it reliably met our intended objectives.

Despite the absence of this validation (which we still lack), thousands of prospective teachers, particularly those from higher education cycles, were unable to advance due to not passing the Personal Aptitude Tests (PAP). This left their vocational aspirations unfulfilled, despite meeting the legal requirements for university access, such as the University Entrance Exams (PAU), higher education cycles (CFGS), or the test for individuals over 25 years old. Likewise, hundreds of them opted to leave the country annually to pursue these studies in another nearby autonomous community or even at a state university. However, their curriculum in these institutions lacks the inclusion of any of the foundational areas specific to the Catalan School, such as language, culture, and pedagogy. What's even more paradoxical is that: upon completing their studies, nothing prohibits them from working as teachers in Catalonia.

In light of these factors, we suggested a "flexibilization" of the timing for requiring passage of the tests in Catalonia.This was proposed as an initial measure to partially mitigate the observed effects and enable collaboration from the university itself with students who exhibit certain competency deficiencies (which should be analyzed in terms of gaps from earlier primary-secondary stages), yet demonstrate a strong vocational and motivational inclination towards becoming teachers. The new agreement will ultimately ensure that all teachers graduating in Catalonia have passed the Personal Aptitude Tests (PAP), regardless of when they achieve this milestone. This underscores the commitment of universities as part of the higher education system to provide inclusive educational opportunities and support future teachers in developing, enhancing, and attaining the competencies essential for excellence in their professional practice. It is precisely this experience that reinforces their commitment to the mission for which they seek training.

Hence, at Blanquerna, we applaud the new agreement within the Catalan university system to "flexibilize" the timing for requiring passage of the Personal Aptitude Test (PAP). Under the principle of university autonomy, each institution will determine whether the test is required "prior" to admission to the degree program or during the first year, integrated with first-year subjects.

Furthermore, we are pleased to announce that the Blanquerna School of Psychology, Education, and Sport Sciences has initiated various internal training and assessment strategies. These measures aim not only to facilitate the passing of the Personal Aptitude Tests (PAP) in the first year of Education for those who have not yet passed them but also to enable all Education students, as well as alumni, to achieve the C2 level of Catalan progressively throughout their degree, upon request.

Lastly, we extend our readiness to collaborate with the university and pre-university education system to further enhance education in our country. This collaboration is crucial as we confront significant challenges following years of objectively documented unsatisfactory results in both national and international studies. Once more, embracing a sense of self-criticism and accurately interpreting objective data regarding our situation will be paramount for successful progress. This approach, free from prejudices and labels, is essential as we collectively strive for global educational improvement, a goal we all deeply desire.