The learning crisis, being in school is not the same as learning

I recently visited a public high school during a day of activities with first-grade students, with the goal of finding a school to open a new Plantel Azteca. In a simple activity, I asked them to write down in their own words what they had learned that day. One student mentioned, “Photosynthesis is how plants use light to grow and give us air.” When I asked him how this happens or why it was important, he remained silent. He confessed that he had simply copied it from the board. This wasn't an isolated case; several of his classmates could repeat concepts, but they didn't know how to explain them or relate them to everyday life.

That scene sums up one of the great flaws of our educational system: we have confused learning with repetition, and memorizing a text is not the same as understanding it.

For decades, public policies have prioritized school enrollment as an indicator of success. And the figures are overwhelming: in the 2023–2024 school year, basic education enrollment was 90.6% for children and adolescents between the ages of 3 and 14, according to data from the Ministry of Public Education (SEP). However, these quantitative gains contrast starkly with learning outcomes.

Mexico's performance in Mathematics and Reading Comprehension ranks it as the third-worst country in the OECD. How is it possible that after years in the classroom, so many young people fail to understand a basic text? The answer is complex, but it has a clear starting point: instead of teaching students to think, we continue to train them to repeat.

This not only affects academic performance, but also profoundly limits the development of life skills. A student who memorizes can pass, but a student who understands can transform their environment.

And don't be misunderstood, this doesn't mean I'm against more children attending school, nor does it mean minimizing the importance of educational coverage. On the contrary, it's about understanding that both aspects—expanding coverage and improving the quality of learning—must be advanced in a parallel and integrated manner. It's not enough to fill classrooms; it's essential that every student receives an education that truly allows them to understand, reflect, and develop skills for their life and future.

This means training teachers, redesigning curriculum content, and realizing that true learning is not measured solely by attendance or grades, but by the ability to understand, argue, and propose solutions. Only in this way can we develop better citizens, capable of engaging with their environment and contributing to the common good.

It's not enough for students to be present in school or simply to repeat information. What's crucial is that they truly understand what they're learning. Only then can we raise a generation that not only knows what to think, but also knows how to think critically and creatively.