The second graduation ceremony for students in the Degree Programme in Preschool Education began with a few congratulatory words for the students from Dr. Núria Arís, the Vice Dean of the Faculty. “The essence of the true vocation and professionalism of teachers is their commitment to others”, she reminded the graduates.

The dean then introduced this year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Pihla Tiina-Maria Mäkelä, an expert in systematic learning. The doctor, who is from Finland, centred her address on the success of the Finnish education system, considered the best in the world based on the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reports. Dr. Mäkelä said that the quality of the teachers is the crux of the matter and encouraged the new teachers to strive for this quality. “All teachers should carry with them an investigative spirit and the spirit of a social fighter”, she said. Following her keynote address, she congratulated the students for graduating and for having chosen this profession.

After the graduates were awarded their diplomas, the ceremony continued with a speech by the class representative and a moving video of the graduating class.

Finally, Dr. Albert Arbós, the Dean of the Faculty of Education, closed the ceremony by giving the new teachers three pieces of advice: to trust in their capacity for survival, to preserve their critical thinking skills and to remember that human identity is dynamic. “A teacher’s role is essentially to understand this individual evolution”, he concluded.