Demographic pressure in classrooms
In recent months, Catalan schools have experienced a wave of registrations, with the arrival of 9,000 new students each month. This situation highlights an educational crisis that is being intensified, with a total of 1,610,346 students enrolled in the academic year 2024/25, according to the authorities. If we consider the number of schools, approximately 5,500, the average number of students per center is between 290 and 300. This means that, in order to deal with the increase, they would need to open around 30 new schools monthly.
A system under pressure
Those in charge of the education system argue that they can manage the arrival of new students through operating adjustments. However, these changes involve an increase in the ratios of students per teacher, a growing bureaucracy that drowns educators, and an impoverishment of Catalan in teaching. In short, it is possible to integrate more students, but this translates into a deterioration of educational quality, which has been aggravating in recent years.
Demotivation between educators
The teaching staff is in a situation of deep discouragement. The relentless move of educational regulations, political leadership changes and pressures to implement new pedagogical methodologies have created a climate of frustration. Teachers are confronted with ideas that seem to distance themselves from the basic foundations of teaching, such as authority and effort. Thus, paradoxical situations have been reached, such as the celebration of secular festivals in the school while other cultural traditions are relegated.
Public education vs. Private: a growing gap
Those who can afford private education seek to refuge their children from the overflow of the public system. This situation generates a gap that not only affects families with resources, but also threatens the foundations of the public education system, which will not be able to support if the trend continues.
Reflections on the future of education
It is urgent that those responsible for educational policies recognize the seriousness of the situation. The idea of an educational model that looks like cultures very different from ours is worrying. If students reach classrooms without a real interest in local language and culture, the risk of loss of cultural identity is imminent. History teaches us that non -control integration can lead to dire consequences. Therefore, it is essential that society be aware of this challenge and seek solutions that guarantee a sustainable future for education in Catalonia.