In Manresa, historian and social sciences teacher Lídia Ferrer has said critical thinking is essential if democracy is to function properly. Speaking about the role of education, she argued that democratic societies cannot be maintained without it.
Ferrer, who teaches at IEManresa, warned about disinformation and controlled information, which she described as the worst poison for democracies. She said independent media is important in a democratic society, but added that news outlets are often linked to political parties or ideological forces, so people should check information carefully.
“You cannot maintain a democracy without education and critical thinking,” Ferrer said. She added that people need time to develop that skill and that strong educational institutions are necessary. “If not, we won’t get anywhere.”
When asked whether limiting terms in office could help prevent corruption, Ferrer said it could in general, citing George Orwell’s ideas. But she said restricting mandates is not enough without a critical spirit among the public. For more local reporting from across the region, see our news coverage.
Ferrer also discussed countries such as China, saying they retain elements of communism despite not being genuinely communist. She pointed to social surveillance, limits on freedoms and a communal rather than individual focus as traits associated with pure communism, and noted that some of these countries have opened up economically in recent years, moving closer to capitalist, Western societies.
She said Orwell’s work, especially his criticism of his own political ideas, supports critical thinking. Ferrer described it as a critique of a specific historical moment, but also of apathy and ignorance. She also said Orwell’s books were banned in some countries because they aligned with anti-communist propaganda in Western nations at the time, while communist states rejected criticism of their systems.
Ferrer’s comments were shared in an interview conducted by Serafí Sanllehí and Kira Jordan, both 3rd-year ESO students at IEManresa, and Pep Tapias, a 2nd-year ESO student from Institut Quercus in Sant Joan de Vilatorrada.
