Cardinal  Felipe Arizmendi , Bishop Emeritus of San Cristóbal de Las Casas and responsible for the Doctrine of the Faith at the  Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM) , offers Exaudi readers his article.

FACTS

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) administered an entrance exam for its undergraduate programs, contracted to a Monterrey-based AI company. However, it was discovered that thousands of students fraudulently used AI mechanisms to cheat on the exam. Many achieved high scores, which was inexplicable, as it’s unusual for so many students to obtain such high marks. They had to retake the exam in person, and many didn’t even show up. There must be a reason! Besides the fact that these systems can fail, human ingenuity can find ways to circumvent them, as happened in this case.

In many schools, both public and private, teachers are at a loss for how to capture students’ attention, as many are constantly on their cell phones and not focused on the lesson. Several states in our country have already passed legislation to prevent cell phone use during class, sometimes prohibiting students from bringing them to school altogether, establishing rules that restrict their use to free time or research. There were seminaries where, upon returning from their days off, seminarians had their cell phones confiscated for the entire week, which also proved ineffective, as some students even brought two; they would hand one over and keep the other to use for all sorts of distractions. Furthermore, repression is not the effective way to educate, especially with young people; rather, it is about shaping their minds and hearts to use cell phones appropriately and effectively.

LIGHTNING

Pope Leo, in his encyclical  Magnifica Humanitas,  says the following for all educational levels:

“School is the place where new generations can learn to seek and love the truth, to question the meaning of life and the dignity of each person. For this reason, many parents, who want their children to grow up being able to relate to others, to think critically, and to have solid values, place great hopes in it, as a valuable ally in their children’s education. Indeed, parents have the primary and inalienable right to choose the type of education and training that is given to their children, in accordance with their own moral, cultural, and religious convictions. The educational world today faces some urgent challenges”  (143) .

“The first challenge is of a socio-political nature. Both within each country and between different regions of the world, strong inequalities persist in access to basic and higher education. In many countries, the State has not yet invested the necessary resources to guarantee quality education for all, either by adequately supporting the public school system or by sustaining the private institutions that offer this fundamental service”  (144) .

“The second major challenge is pedagogical in nature. Many educational systems struggle to keep pace with change and to support the holistic development of students. The development of information technologies and AI means that curricula designed for another era quickly become obsolete, while the organization of schools, spaces, assessment methods, and the very role of the teacher must be rethought with a view to a truly holistic education, open to all dimensions of the person. It is necessary to promote the continuous professional development of teachers throughout their careers so that they can engage positively with new technologies, helping students to use them responsibly, critically, and creatively, rather than passively absorbing their influence”  (145) .

“The third great challenge is intellectual and related to wisdom. If we are not vigilant, an educational system devoid of love for the truth may emerge, in which the incessant flow of information replaces the practice of research, reflection, and discernment. Fragmentary knowledge multiplies, but it becomes more difficult to grasp reality as a whole, to ask questions about the meaning of things, and to develop authentic critical and creative thinking. Many educators already perceive signs of a possible dehumanization, in which people know many things but have difficulty giving meaning to their lives and not losing sight of the horizon of meaning. It is necessary to promote a true hygiene of attention: rhythms that include silence, reflective study, reading, and thoughtful analysis; without these elements, inner freedom can be compromised”  (146) .

“The Church’s social doctrine invites families, schools, Christian communities, and public institutions to a renewed educational alliance. This becomes a reality when fundamental principles are translated into educational objectives: educating in moderation and a sense of limits; educating in the recognition of the right of others and of those who will come after us to enjoy the goods that have been given to us, or that human ingenuity places at our disposal; educating in freedom and responsibility; educating in the sense of transcendence and the common good. The school is not called to pursue the speed of the digital world, but to offer what the digital world alone cannot provide: shared time for learning and reliable relationships”  (147) .

ACTIONS

Analyze how children are educated in the schools you entrust them to, and with teachers and other parents, consider how to address, both at school and at home, the proper use or abuse of these means of information and communication.