The Catalan government finalised a landmark agreement to inject €390 million into the region’s network of escoles concertades (charter schools) over the next five years. President Salvador Illa and key educational associations signed the deal on Tuesday, aiming to address the long-standing “historic underfunding” of these publicly subsidised private institutions.

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This significant financial commitment follows another contentious agreement. Just a day prior, the government reached a separate deal with some teacher unions to improve pay and conditions across the wider education sector. However, the largest teaching union rejected that agreement and continues to call for a week-long strike. Consequently, the new funding for charter schools arrives amidst significant turmoil and division within Catalan education.

Addressing a Decades-Old Deficit

The new funding pact aims to rectify long-standing financial shortfalls for Catalonia’s nearly 700 charter schools. According to an official statement from the Generalitat de Catalunya, the investment will be rolled out until 2030, allocated across three key areas:

  • €193 million to cover rising operating expenses for schools and institutes.
  • €155 million to update teacher staffing levels, which, according to the government, had not been revised since the 1995-1996 academic year.
  • €41 million for so-called “school backpacks” (motxilles escolars), providing direct aid to support socioeconomically vulnerable students.

A coalition of charter school associations, including the Fundació Escola Cristiana de Catalunya (FECC) and the Agrupació Escolar Catalana (AEC), signed the agreement at the Palau de la Generalitat. The government stated its goal is to create a more “stable and equitable” educational system, prioritising support for centres with a higher proportion of disadvantaged pupils.

A Divided Union Landscape

This charter school deal emerged against a backdrop of fractured union responses to a separate, broader agreement on teachers’ working conditions. On Monday, the Department of Education signed a major accord with two of Spain’s largest unions, Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT).

The government hailed that deal as a “historic” step forward, as it promises significant improvements for all 129,000 teaching professionals in both public and charter schools. Key provisions include:

  • A progressive gross annual salary increase of approximately €3,000 by 2029.
  • An injection of €300 million to enhance resources for inclusive education.
  • A gradual reduction in student-to-teacher ratios in classrooms.
  • A €50 per-night stipend for teachers supervising overnight school trips.

Crucially, this agreement does not depend on the Generalitat’s annual budget approvals, which recently caused contention as political parties demanded revisions. However, the region’s largest education union, Ustec-STEs, along with Professors de Secundària and the CGT, refused to sign. They argue the deal does not go far enough, representing a step back on key issues like school autonomy in hiring, according to Catalan daily Ara.

Strike Looms as Teachers are Polled

In response to the agreement signed by rival unions, Ustec and its allies maintain their call for a five-day strike, scheduled for 16-20 March. In an unprecedented move, they launched a digital consultation, asking all teaching staff across Catalonia to vote on whether to accept the government’s offer or proceed with the strike.

The poll’s results, due this Friday, will critically test support for the unions’ hardline stance against the more pragmatic approach of CCOO and UGT. As betevé reported, major demonstrations are planned throughout the week, culminating in a central march to the Catalan Parliament in Barcelona on Friday, 20 March.

While the €390 million for charter schools marks a significant government investment, deep divisions among teacher unions suggest stability in Catalonia’s vital education sector remains a distant prospect. The outcome of next week’s planned industrial action will reveal whether the government’s dual agreements suffice to resolve a long period of conflict.