The President of Navarra, María Chivite Navascués, opened the I Conference on Digital Educational Competence organized by the Department of Education on Thursday. It was noted that the limited use of technological devices in classrooms benefits the teaching and learning processes.

The regional leader advocated for purposeful digitalization as a tool for education, promoting inclusion and fostering critical thinking among students under the guidance of digitally competent teachers. The message conveyed was clear: the government of Navarra is committed to promoting a critical, pedagogically sound, and safe use of technology in classrooms. It is not about simply adding or removing screens, but about training digitally competent teachers who can guide students through a hyper-connected world with responsibility and discernment.

Chivite addressed the simplistic dilemma of «screens yes, screens no» in educational institutions by asking two fundamental questions: «why?» and «how?» Technology should add real value to the learning process. She highlighted successful international experiences like Estonia, showing that the critical and pedagogical integration of digital tools can enhance learning outcomes by focusing on how and why technology is used, rather than just the quantity.

The Department of Education recently announced the development of a new regional decree on coexistence, which will regulate the use of digital devices in classrooms. The use of these devices will be aligned with the educational projects of each school. The educational system in Navarra ensures controlled use of digital devices, supervised by teachers and integrated into the curriculum and activities of each school.

The upcoming regulation aims to reinforce the pedagogical use of technology, promoting responsible and purposeful integration of digital resources in education. The conference featured speakers and workshops exploring various aspects of digital education, with a closing session by Luis Calatayud, Director General of Digitalization and Educational Services at the Department of Education.

The event served to review and update innovation and digital transformation processes in schools, emphasizing the importance of ikasNOVA, the cornerstone of digitalization in Navarra. The plan prepares students to face the challenges of a technologically advanced world while promoting inclusion and equal opportunities through access to the latest digital resources and tools.

The creation of the Digitalization Resource Center in the department is a significant development, focusing on areas such as digital competence, computational thinking, digital resources, and the ikasNOVA classroom. This initiative aims to ensure that today’s students become active and competent digital citizens in the future.

By the 2025-2026 school year, there will be 107 ikasNOVA classrooms in public schools in Navarra, equipped with a wide range of digital devices to enhance the learning experience. The State Plan for Digitalization and Digital Competences in the Educational System (#DigEdu) is funded by European MRR funds and includes initiatives to develop digital competences among teachers and students, digitize school centers, create digital educational resources, and promote advanced digital skills such as computational thinking and Artificial Intelligence.

The funding from these programs has enabled the certification of digital competences for thousands of teachers and the implementation of interactive digital classrooms in Navarra’s public education system. The evolution of digital infrastructure in the educational system reflects the commitment to digital innovation and transformation in education.

FUENTE