During these days, the Parliament of Navarra is discussing the implementation of the so-called workshop continua in schools. This is a complex issue, because the alternatives in this field are very variable, and do not seem to respond to formative interests, but rather depend on the limitations inherent to a social organization that revolves around economic activity.

It is clear that in many countries, both rich and poor, and especially in large cities, where the commute to work is very long, fathers and mothers have serious problems to be with their children. For this reason, there is a tendency to extend the issue number of hours that children spend in educational institutions.

In this, as in so many other areas, the experience of the USA, where for many decades students have spent most of the day in school, is very illustrative. Elsewhere, however, particularly in Germany, the norm is for there not to be much homework, and a large proportion of children and young people devote their afternoons to artistic activities, particularly musical ones.

Whether the proposed changes would have a positive or negative impact on academic performance is open to question, but it is doubtful that the evidence is conclusive in this regard. I suspect that what is essential is that teachers do their work job well, and that their students are attentive at class and complete the tasks assigned to them. For this, they should have had enough sleep the day before, which contrasts with the inclination to noctambulism that is often attributed to Spaniards.

Given the circumstances, the rationalization of schedules seems inevitable, but we should not limit ourselves to suppressing the symptoms. We should also combat their causes by facilitating the reconciliation of family and work. Perhaps because of aging (today 40% of the State's budget is used to pay pensions), very little is done in our country to support those who decide to have children.

It is evident that the priorities of expense go in another direction, because the majority of the population is not concerned about this issue. Turning the degree scroll of a movie around, it could be said that ours is not a country for children and young people. However, Spain has a pressing demographic problem that should be tackled decisively.

We should also reflect on the subject of Education to which we aspire. We run the risk of reducing it to school learning, which is essentially intellectual in nature. However, it is the parents and their immediate environment that can transmit values and attitudes to the new generations. If they do not have the time to do so, it will be the media, especially the Internet, that will do it. However, their logic is not at all pedagogical, but purely commercial.