Record Reception Classrooms and Staffing Boost
Catalonia has launched the 2026-27 school year with a record 2,141 reception classrooms, an increase of 500 from the previous year and surpassing the historical peak of 1,640. According to the Department of Education, this fulfils the agreement between the Ministry and the CCOO and UGT unions to maintain a maximum ratio of 18 students per teacher in these spaces for newly arrived pupils. Forty-five intensive reception classrooms have been introduced, up from 27, each staffed by two teachers to accelerate Catalan language learning and integration into mainstream classes. The Catalan education system now employs 94,422 professionals, including 85,052 teachers and professors, an increase of 1,830 staff and a 1.3% rise in teaching personnel. This growth comes despite a slight drop in student numbers, which stand at 1,604,988 following a decrease of 735 enrollments across all levels.
Vocational Training Expansion and Infrastructure Investment
Enrolment in Vocational Training (FP) has risen by approximately 9%, reaching 86,891 students at Intermediate Level and 85,359 at Higher Level. In response, nearly 5,000 new FP places have been created, backed by a €67 million allocation for technology, programmes, and infrastructure. The Generalitat de Catalunya has committed €257 million to modernise school facilities, the largest investment in educational infrastructure since 2008. Of this, €100 million is designated for comprehensive climate control systems and €20 million for fixed ventilation in almost 400 schools, addressing the age of the building stock where over 25% were constructed before 1965. Four new schools have opened: Institut Vallcarca in Barcelona, Escola Paco Candel in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Escola Les Filadores in Sentmenat, and Escola l’Estel in Castellnou de Seana. Three other school complexes have been expanded, with construction ongoing at six additional centres across Catalonia.
Healthcare Access and Teacher Pay Rise Amid Strike Call
Half of Catalonia’s schools will now have healthcare professionals on site to support students with chronic illnesses, as announced by Education Minister Esther Niubó ahead of the term. Additionally, 531 support staff have been assigned for inclusive education under the Benestar per estar bé programme. Teachers will receive an extra €700 annually following an agreement between the Department of Education, CCOO, UGT, and Professors de Secundària, on top of a previously announced supplement increase from May. Despite these improvements, union organisations have formally called for an education strike on the first day of school, 8 September.
The budgetary increase will also allow for the incorporation of 4,162 new teachers into the educational system, the majority in secondary and vocational training.
AI Guidelines Introduced for Student Use
New guidelines regulate artificial intelligence use in classrooms. Minors under 14 are prohibited from using non-educational AI tools autonomously, while those up to 18 require authorisation. Students may use AI in research work provided they document, credit, and verify all generated content.
Primary sources: dps.gencat.cat, eb.gencat.cat, govern.cat. Reported by cope.es, apdnoticies.com, en.ara.cat.
