Barcelona’s network of publicly-funded private schools, known as escoles concertades, will shrink further following the confirmed closure of two neighbourhood institutions. Col·legi Miró and the San Rafael school, both single-form entry schools in the Sant Martí district, will not open for the 2026-2027 academic year, signalling a deepening crisis for the city’s dual education system.

These closures highlight a precarious situation for many such schools, which face a dual challenge: a city-wide decline in birth rates and what they describe as chronic government underfunding. The Consorci d’Educació de Barcelona, jointly managed by the Barcelona City Council and the Catalan government, confirmed to news outlet Metrópoli Abierta that it would withdraw public subsidies, or concerts, from both centres due to falling demand.

However, the director of Col·legi Miró painted a more complex picture in a letter sent to families last December. While acknowledging demographic shifts, the letter cited more pressing financial reasons for the closure, including systemic underfunding, delayed aid and scholarships, and accumulated unpaid bills.

A System Under Strain

The plight of these two schools is symptomatic of a broader struggle within the concertada sector. In February, a coalition of nine organisations representing over 670 schools and 30,000 staff began lobbying the Parliament of Catalonia. They presented 11 amendments to a new education bill currently being debated, demanding greater financial support and arguing the proposed law fails to address the needs of these socially-oriented private institutions.

Financial Pressures and Social Vulnerability

The financial gap is stark. Meritxell Ruiz, secretary general of the Fundació Escola Cristiana de Catalunya (FECC), one of the lobbying groups, referenced a damning 2019 report by the Catalan Ombudsman (Síndic de Greuges). The report concluded that state subsidies were 260% below the actual cost of providing a school place. Ruiz suggested this figure has “surely” increased in the years since.

This funding crisis in education echoes wider budgetary challenges facing the city, with Mayor Jaume Collboni recently warning that €250m for Barcelona is at risk in a budget deadlock with the Catalan government.

“The small ones are the ones who have the hardest time surviving,” lamented Ruiz.

The report detailed that for every vulnerable student, a concertada school faces an annual deficit of €1,540 for an infant or primary school place, rising to €1,884 for a secondary school student. This financial pressure is particularly acute in the neighbourhoods where the two closing schools are located. Both Sant Martí de Provençals and La Verneda i la Pau are areas with high social vulnerability, with between 30% and 35% of the population considered at risk. While the city has moved to support families with initiatives like a new 50% school meal subsidy plan for 2027, the financial viability of the schools themselves remains in question.

New Regulations Add Pressure

As the pre-registration period for the new school year begins on 4 March, the education sector is also adapting to new rules laid down by the Catalan government’s Department of Education. Under the administration of Salvador Illa, the Generalitat announced it will no longer provide public funding to schools that segregate pupils by sex. In response, Canigó school has already renounced its concert for its second cycle of infant education to maintain its single-sex model.

In addition, funding agreements will now be granted for six-year terms. Critically, they will not be renewed if a school fails to meet minimum student-to-classroom ratios in any single year, even if the numbers recover the following year. These stricter criteria, combined with the financial squeeze, create a perfect storm for smaller, community-focused schools.

The Consorci d’Educació also confirmed that a third school, Mare de Déu del Roser, will close its infant and primary school stages as it reorients its educational offering. The closures of Col·legi Miró and San Rafael are not isolated incidents but a clear sign of the immense pressure facing a key part of Barcelona’s educational landscape.