With the regulations in hand, the flamenco It should be included, as a matter of course, in the educational practice of our schools and institutes. But reality, generally speaking, tells us otherwise. Let's take a brief look. of how this presence has been normatively articulated.
In 2014, the Order of May 7, 2014, establishing measures for the inclusion of Flamenco in the Andalusian education systemwhich led to the creation of Educational Portal of Flamenco with resources, experience, training and best practices; the inclusion of flamenco in the annual programming of the centers; the provision for their inclusion in the Educational Project of the Center; research, innovation and development of teaching materials projects; and the creation of the Awards Flamenco in the classroomwhich have already reached their twelfth edition.
Later, in 2023, the Andalusian Law of Flamenco It expressly established that the educational administration must include its learning and knowledge in the various non-university stages. That same year also saw the implementation of the optional subject. culture of Flamenco in 3rd year of ESO.
This regulatory process is complemented by the approval of General Strategic Plan of the Flamenco 2026-2031, which includes as one of its main strategic lines the “Integration of flamenco in the Public Education System.”
In other words, we find that for the last twelve years the Andalusian Regional Government has legislated to ensure that flamenco culture is introduced to our children during their compulsory schooling. The problem, therefore, is no longer proving that the flamenco It is recognized by the educational administration. That is beyond any doubt. The problem is knowing to what extent this regulatory, curricular, and administrative recognition has actually translated into a regular and effective presence in the classroom. And here lies the crux of the matter. What is going wrong that, twelve years after the 2014 Order, the regular presence of flamenco Will it continue to depend largely on the individual initiative of certain teachers and schools?
The following lines are the product of My professional experience: that of a Music Education teacher – and enthusiast of flamenco– with twenty-five years of service and extensive experience in teaching flamenco in Primary EducationBefore delving into it, I would like to offer a brief reflection on a fundamental problem that still plagues our society: the scant social and cultural regard for flamencoand which, in some way, determines its minority presence in compulsory education. Despite the institutional recognition achieved in recent decades, a view of [the subject] persists in certain sectors of society. flamenco as a lesser form of music, linked to certain harmful environments and, at times, to a historical period viewed from a negative perspective. A prejudice that, logically, can also be reflected in the educational community, both among families and among the teaching staff themselves, a circumstance that I have been able to clearly observe throughout this time. El flamenco It is not yet seen in Andalusia and the rest of Spain as a top-level, highbrow musical art.and precisely one of the objectives of the inclusion of flamenco The goal in school is to reverse this perception.
"A new school year begins and the question remains fully relevant: is the flamenco in our classrooms? The answer cannot yet be affirmative. There is regulatory recognition, there are initiatives, resources and experiences that we cannot ignore, but there is still a long way to go before all of this translates into a regular, normalized and effective presence of flamenco in our compulsory education system»
The deficiencies and clearly improvable aspects that I have noticed regarding the presence of flamenco The reasons why this is a reality in the classroom are diverse. First, I believe there is a lack of willingness on the part of the teachers. El flamenco It is taught systematically only in those educational centers where there is a teacher interested in it. In this regard, despite the Administration's regulatory intent, it does not carry out any kind of monitoring to ensure its integration into educational practice. Let us remember—and this is a topic that warrants another article—that the aim is not only to disseminate the flamenco not only among our youngest children, but also to use it as an innovative educational tool for the development of fundamental learning such as reading, writing or knowledge of the historical and cultural environment.
It is true that in 2023 the subject Culture of was established in the 3rd year of ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education). FlamencoHowever, since it is optional and there is not enough qualified teacher training, we do not believe it is the most appropriate format. Furthermore, for students to choose this subject, they must be motivated and have acquired prior knowledge from primary education, a circumstance that, as we are analyzing in this article, is not the case. For example, in the town where I live, Puente-Genil, this subject is not taught, to my knowledge, in any of the secondary schools.
This is compounded by the insufficient preparation of those who are supposed to teach the flamenco. Despite initiatives by some teacher training centers, a comprehensive, integrated, and clearly articulated plan providing adequate pedagogical and didactic tools is still lacking. Furthermore, the university, beyond its commendable Chairs of Flamencologia, of research master's degrees and of certain initiatives and subjects that incorporate content related to the flamencoIt does not include its teaching in a structured way in the initial training of future teachers, an action, from our point of view, that is fundamental to train and raise awareness among those who will have the responsibility of bringing it into the classroom.
Furthermore, we cannot ignore the issue of teaching materials and resources. Thanks to the various editions of the awards Flamenco A lot of interesting and very useful classroom materials have been emerging in the Aula program, but these are not adequately presented or promoted to teachers. Furthermore, the awards themselves lack any financial support, which significantly diminishes the motivation to continue participating. Teachers have to use their own money to cover the expenses incurred throughout the entire process.
Finally, there is one circumstance that is certainly no less important: The situation of music in schools. Music in primary education is only allotted one hour per week, clearly insufficient time to cover its content. If this is how music is treated in our education system, how can we expect the flamenco Does it acquire a pedagogical treatment in accordance with what is promulgated by the regulations? Let's analyze the presence of music in the educational systems of our neighboring countries and we will be in for more than one surprise.
A new school year begins, and the question with which we started these lines remains fully relevant: is the flamenco in our classrooms? The answer, based on what has been said, cannot yet be affirmative. There is regulatory recognition, there are initiatives, resources and experiences that we cannot ignore, but there is still a long way to go before all of this translates into a regular presence., standardized and effective of flamenco in our compulsory education system.
Perhaps the challenge of this new school year is no longer to ensure that the flamenco not only appear in our laws and curricula, but also ensure that it definitively emerges from them and enters, naturally, into our classrooms.
From ExpoFlamencoWith the firm conviction of the need to bring flamenco culture closer to our youngest children and to use it as a powerful educational tool, we will continue to promote our two projects aimed at this goal: The Elf and The Professor y Fosforito, a musical genius. ♦
