In current education, there is a profound contradiction that is rarely clearly stated. Official models and accreditations constantly reiterate that:

• The student is the center, the active builder of their own knowledge.

• The teacher should no longer be an expert who teaches, but a “facilitator,” designer of activities, and manager of learning.

In theory, this sounds good. In practice, this role reversal has produced worrying results: The teacher has been stripped of their intellectual authority. They are no longer valued so much for their deep mastery of the subject matter, but for their ability to organize activities, fill out rubrics, and maintain a positive emotional climate. They have become more of an administrator than a teacher.

The student, supposedly empowered, often ends up infantilized. The “construction of knowledge” is diluted in superficial activities, undemanding group work, and quick internet searches.

When real difficulty arises, condescension sets in: standards are lowered, grades are inflated, and self-esteem is prioritized over effort and rigor. In many cases, the classroom has transformed into a self-esteem workshop disguised as educational innovation.

This is not a problem of isolated "poor implementation." It is the logical result of dogmatically applying a pedagogical ideology that demonizes direct instruction, the lecture format, and the teacher's role as the sole source of knowledge.

The Pedagogy of Condescension