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Catalonia Education Minister dismisses top official over PISA error
Catalan Education Minister Esther Niubó has announced a major leadership shakeup following a crisis involving the PISA 2025 international assessments. Teresa Sambola, the Secretary General of the Department of Education, has been dismissed from her position. Niubó described the PISA incident as a “detonator” for existing internal functional issues within the department.
The crisis stems from errors in the application of the PISA tests, which resulted in a 23.2% student exclusion rate in Catalonia—far exceeding the 5% maximum threshold set by the OECD. This error led to the invalidation of Catalonia's data for the report, meaning the region's academic performance over the last three years cannot be officially compared. Investigations revealed that the National Institute for Educational Evaluation (INEE) had issued up to seven warnings regarding these errors, which were not addressed in time.
In addition to Sambola's dismissal, Niubó has opened disciplinary proceedings against three individuals, including two civil servants and one high-ranking official, for alleged negligence and failure to fulfill responsibilities. Marta Clari, formerly of the Barcelona City Council, has been appointed as the new Secretary General to lead a “new stage” for the department. While the Catalan Government has expressed full confidence in Niubó, opposition parties have called for her resignation, citing the severity of the administrative failure.
Entities
Catalonia · Department of Education of Catalonia · Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya · Esther Niubo · Generalitat de Catalunya · Marta Clari · Núria Parlon · OECD · Oriol Junqueras · Salvador Illa · Teresa Sambola · Tomás Carrión
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 6 SOURCES] The National Institute for Educational Evaluation (INEE) issued up to seven warnings regarding the student screening errors. www.lavozdegalicia.es · www.elmundo.es · www.larepublica.cat · www.moncloa.com · www.elnacional.cat · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The exclusion rate of students in the PISA 2025 tests in Catalonia reached 23.2%, significantly exceeding the OECD's 5% limit. www.lavozdegalicia.es · www.elliberal.cat · www.elmundo.es · www.larepublica.cat · www.moncloa.com · +1 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] Marta Clari has been appointed as the new Secretary General of the Department of Education. www.diaridetarragona.com · www.elmundo.es · www.larazon.es · www.vilaweb.cat
- [● 2 SOURCES] The opposition party Junts has demanded that Esther Niubó appear before Parliament to explain the PISA situation. www.lavozdegalicia.es · www.3cat.cat
- [● 12 SOURCES] Teresa Sambola has been dismissed from her position as Secretary General of the Department of Education. www.diaridetarragona.com · www.lavozdegalicia.es · www.elliberal.cat · www.elmundo.es · www.larepublica.cat · +7 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The PISA testing error acted as a detonator for internal departmental malfunctions. www.vilaweb.cat · www.diaridetarragona.com · www.lavozdegalicia.es · www.elmundo.es · www.larepublica.cat · +6 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Catalan Government has expressed full confidence in Education Minister Esther Niubó. www.larazon.es
- [● 9 SOURCES] Disciplinary proceedings have been opened against three individuals, including two civil servants and one high-ranking official. www.lavozdegalicia.es · www.elliberal.cat · www.larepublica.cat · www.moncloa.com · www.diarimes.com · +4 more