Friends of Science Park sees Principia Institute as 'waste' that 'encourages localism'

the Friends of Science Park Association He described the establishment of the new Andalusian Institute for the Educational Publishing of Sciences “Principles” that the Council intends to launch in Malaga as “a waste”. In a broad and powerful statement he breaks down six criticisms – Repetition, contradictions, wastefulness, inadequacy, ambiguity and irresponsibility –This entity considered that the new center represents “a dangerous foolishness to strengthen localism or benefit some capitals at the expense of the rest of the municipalities that make up Andalusian society.”

“For reasons that have escaped us, but which reveal a deep contradiction, the Department of Educational Development and Vocational Training intends to launch a new organization that will be assigned the same tasks that have been assigned to it since its establishment. Science Park“, they advance the first of the six points into which the text is divided. “We wonder without much concern why the Department of Educational Development and Vocational Training, which is directly responsible for the Science Park, publicly praises its media work for the same person who designs another center that strips it of its importance and enters into direct competition with it. “.

Moreover, they deny that there is no “coincidence in functions and powers.” Andalusian Institute for Educational Publishing of Sciences “Principles” “With other bodies already in place,” the Andalusian Military Council said in another statement sent last week to the media. “As we have indicated, this is something clearly uncertain, because if you read carefully Article 4 of the statute of the Supreme Council of Andalusia, the Science Park, which develops the objectives and tasks assigned to it, and in comparison with Articles 1 and 2 of the decree establishing the Andalusian Institute for the Publishing of Sciences, it becomes clear “Their goals are exactly the same. This does not mean that the aforementioned institute will carry out tasks that respond to unexpected situations or new challenges that require differentiated work, but the goals of the two institutions are identical.” GranadaDigital also confirmed.

Moreover, the letter regrets the inadequacy of the new entity, as “it might suggest so [el Parque de las Ciencias] “It does not meet the objectives of scientific publishing stipulated in its statute, and therefore an organization capable of doing it must be established,” and its ambiguity, due to the fact that “it is carried out under the legal form of an administrative service with a distinct administration affiliated with the ministry responsible for education.” You can read the full statement below:


Statement from the Friends of Science Park Association

In view of the announcement by the Ministry of Educational Development and Professional Training of the creation of the so-called Andalusian Institute for the Educational Dissemination of the Principles of Science, the Association of Friends of the Andalusian Science Park was established (with its name as Elvira Martín Suárez, president of the aforementioned association), based in Granada. It would like to express its opposition to the aforementioned initiative based on the following allegations:

1.- Repetition in it

For reasons that escape us, but which reveal a profound contradiction, the Department of Educational Development and Vocational Training intends to launch a new organization that will be entrusted with the same tasks that were assigned to the Science Oasis since its inception, which ironically: it depends on the same ministry. We do not fully understand this duality, nor why the same department creates one center at the expense of another, which is, in the words of the head of the department herself, “a national and international reference in scientific education and dissemination.” We wonder without worry why the aforementioned administration, which is directly responsible for the Science Park, publicly praises its media work while designing another center that belittles its importance and enters into direct competition with it. It is a contradiction that goes beyond any attempt at a reasonable explanation, because it seems somewhat incoherent to affirm one thing and its opposite. If it is said that the Science Park is an international reference in the field of scientific publishing, then why did it say in the preamble of the draft decree that what justifies the establishment of the Andalusian Institute for the Educational Publishing of the Principles of Science is to enhance “knowledge of science and transfer it to educational environments and society? How can the two facts be reconciled?”

2.- Its contradictions

The aforementioned draft decree states that there is “no correspondence between the tasks and powers of the Andalusian Institute for the Educational Publishing of Sciences (Principles) with the tasks and powers of other bodies that already exist.” As we have indicated, this is clearly uncertain, because if Article 4 of the Statute of the Scientific Park is carefully read, which defines the objectives and tasks assigned to it, and compared with Articles 1 and 2 of the Decree establishing the Scientific Park, Andalusian Institute for the Publishing of Sciences, it is certain that Their goals are exactly the same. This does not mean that the aforementioned institute will carry out tasks that respond to unexpected situations or new challenges that require differentiated work, but rather that the goals of the two institutions are identical: promoting the dissemination of science (the basic regulations of the Science Park)./ Promoting the dissemination of science among students of educational centers in Andalusia (the Institute); Promoting scientific, technological, health and environmental culture, enhancing critical and participatory skills and stimulating public interest in them (Science Park Statutes) / Promoting scientific and environmental culture by stimulating public interest in them (Institute); Preparing and promoting scientific publishing publications and designing educational materials and programs (Science Park statute) / Preparing and promoting scientific publishing publications and designing open educational materials and resources (the Institute).

Is it necessary to point out more coincidences?

3.- Your expenses

The establishment of the said institute would also lead to common mistakes committed by public administrations that are rightly condemned: waste, inefficient spending, duplication of functions, and misuse of available resources. In fact, in the electoral program of the party that governs the Andalusian Junta, there are many hints to prevent these errors. Therefore, we cannot see the reasons for a decision that wastes assets, dispenses with qualified personnel, wastes expertise, and underestimates the large accumulated cultural capital. Far from the promised effectiveness and transparency, the initiative we oppose involves inefficiency, arbitrariness and mismanagement. What is more dangerous is that the need for rationality and moderation in spending is constantly defended. It is not unjustified speculation to believe that in the future the part of the budgets that could be allocated to the Science Park will be transferred to the new institute for the establishment and expansion of its management, because it seems difficult for us to combine financing for the Science Park according to its needs and projects, with the promotion of an institute with the same tasks, and it will need This resulted in a significant financial contribution due to “the volume of planned publishing projects, as well as the diverse services provided by the center and the large volume it provides.” Targeted students,” as stated in the preamble to the draft decree.

4.- Its inadequacy

We consider that the Ministry’s launch of the Andalusian Institute for the Educational Publishing of the Principles of Science indicates that despite its owner’s public praise for the Science Park, it may imply that it does not achieve the goals of scientific publishing stipulated in its statute and therefore, it is necessary to create an organization capable of implementing them. It seems to us that the obligatory and polite thing in that hypothetical case would have been to inform the Board of Directors of the Science Park, which she herself chaired, of this non-compliance, of the audits and reports that had been conducted and of the reasons resulting from it. To transfer to another organization jobs that are not fulfilled. Do such evaluations exist? We do not believe so, and therefore the establishment of the aforementioned institute is arbitrary. In our opinion, it is completely incoherent and unfair for the Ministry of Educational Development and Vocational Training to promote an organization that contradicts not only the words of the head of the Ministry, but also with all kinds of statements, public recognitions, awards, numbers and other privileges. .

5. – Opacity

The above-mentioned draft decree insists that the establishment of the Andalusian Institute for the Educational Publishing of the Principles of Science “be implemented within the framework of the legal form of an administrative service with a distinct administration affiliated with the ministry competent for educational affairs.” This is intended to justify that this legal personality does not compete with a center that has its own legal personality, as is the case in the Granada Scientific Park. It seems to us once again that this is a serious contradiction with the administrative rules of the Andalusian Junta, because as recognized by some studies on the government and administration of the Andalusian Junta that it itself promoted through the Andalusian Institute of Public Administration, accredited to and with regard to the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration, “services “Administrative management with distinct management is usually a stage preceding the establishment of an entity with its own legal personality.” This makes us believe that under the pretext of reopening the Principia, which at its origins was an enthusiastic initiative by a group of secondary education teachers engaged in the defense and dissemination of science, with whom the active members of the Science Park participated and which was reopened in its original form, it seems necessary to us, since The process of establishing a short-term scientific center or museum with its own legal personality is being initiated in Malaga.

6.- Your lack of responsibility

One of the main political commitments of the Andalusian Junta is to create community awareness, solidarity and cooperation throughout the territory of Andalusia. It would be gross foolishness to promote localism or benefit some capitals at the expense of the rest of the municipalities that make up Andalusian society. The idea of ​​equality and regional balance must be the basis of any public action undertaken by the Andalusian Military Council, if it is to act from the conviction that all Andalusian citizens enjoy the same rights. But we consider that the initiative to establish the Andalusian Institute for the Dissemination of Educational Sciences in another state is an act that lacks objective reasons and arguments that justify it, and it is far from enhancing societal awareness, but rather increases doubts, envy, imbalance, and fragmentation. Lack of trust in institutions. It is recklessness that is easy to confuse with incompetence.

For all these reasons, the Friends of the Science Park Association calls on the Department of Educational Development and Professional Training to withdraw the draft decree establishing the Andalusian Institute for the Publishing of Educational Sciences, and at the same time begin strengthening the powers granted since its inauguration to the Andalusian Science Park, based in Granada, which has been implemented with great success.

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