Catalonia teachers launch strike over school resources

Teachers in Catalonia have launched a new strike at the start of the school year, organized by unions including USTEC-STEs, CGT, Intersindical, and COS. The mobilization stems from ongoing disputes with the Department of Education regarding teacher-to-student ratios, staffing, diversity support, and general resources for public schools.

Catalan Education Minister Esther Niubó expressed a willingness to maintain dialogue with unions but questioned the necessity of reopening previous negotiations, stating that the department is already addressing issues previously discussed. She noted the difficulty of traditional negotiations when individual teachers do not validate agreements signed with unions. Niubó also called for a reduction in tension and emphasized the need to move toward action.

Additionally, the administration is addressing infrastructure challenges, specifically the goal of installing air conditioning in all 2,520 public educational centers by 2031. In Barcelona, two secondary schools, Institut Sants and Salvador Espriu, have been identified as priority centers for refrigeration efforts to be completed before June 2028.