# Catalonia education sector challenges > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/catalonia-education-sector-challenges > Updated: 2026-09-16T18:07:16.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. The education sector in Catalonia is experiencing various structural and administrative challenges. Private nursery schools are facing a crisis characterized by frequent closures, with an average of one center closing every 15 days. Between the 2020-2021 and 2025-2026 academic years, the number of private nurseries decreased from 653 to 537. Contributing factors include declining birth rates, rising rental costs, and the expansion of free public childcare for two-year-olds, which leaves private centers with only partial subsidies. In the 2026/2027 academic year, the region has seen a rise in vocational training enrollment, yet a shortage of available places has left hundreds of students without spots in their chosen programs. Additionally, the sector is facing administrative difficulties regarding educational support staff. Reports from the CGT union indicate issues with the assignment of special education workers and social integrators, including instances where staff were notified of dismissals after the school year had already commenced. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-16: Catalonia education sector faces rising enrollment and staffing challenges Catalonia reports rising vocational training enrollment despite a shortage of student places, while educational support staff face job instability due to administrative placement issues. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catalonia-education-sector-faces-rising-enrollment-and-staffing-challenges ### 2026-09-05: Catalonia private nurseries face crisis as closures increase Private nurseries in Catalonia are facing a crisis, with an average of one closure every 15 days due to declining birth rates, high rents, and competition from free public childcare. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catalonia-private-nurseries-face-crisis-as-closures-increase --- Cite as: Catalonia education sector challenges. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/catalonia-education-sector-challenges