The Generalitat has announced a significant €100 million investment to upgrade 2,530 public schools across Catalonia, with the exception of Barcelona. President Salvador Illa confirmed the funding on Tuesday, targeting essential improvements for ageing educational facilities. This substantial investment, drawn from extraordinary funds, aims to address two decades of underinvestment in many school buildings.

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“Many schools are in buildings that have gone two decades without the necessary investments,” President Illa stated in an Instagram message, as reported by Europa Press. He added, “In Catalonia, more than 25%, more than a quarter of the schools were built before 1960. Therefore, they are old, they need renovation.” The Consell Executiu, the Catalan government’s executive council, will approve the measure this Tuesday.

Funding for Regional Schools

The ‘Fons Actualitza Escoles’ initiative will channel funds to 723 Catalan municipalities, with execution scheduled between 2026 and 2028. Government sources indicate that the Generalitat will distribute the money proportionally. This distribution considers the number of enrolled students and the age of school buildings within each municipality. Schools in Barcelona city are excluded from this specific funding round due to their unique management structure. The Consorci d’Educació de Barcelona, a joint body of the Generalitat and Barcelona City Council, manages the city’s public education centres. This arrangement ensures tailored oversight for the capital’s educational needs, separate from the regional scheme.

Essential School Modernisation

The planned works encompass a wide range of critical improvements to enhance safety and comfort for students and staff. These include replacing obsolete architectural elements and installations such as roofs, carpentry, boilers, toilets, kitchens, and dining rooms. Additionally, the project will focus on improving building envelopes and closures, installing advanced management and control systems, and upgrading lighting fixtures. A crucial aspect of the renovation involves the removal of fibrocement, a material often containing asbestos, from older structures. This will significantly improve health and safety standards.

President Illa emphasised the positive impact of these upgrades on the learning environment. “This is an important step forward, to make better schools safer, more comfortable and more adapted to children,” he affirmed. The investment underscores a commitment to modernising the educational infrastructure across the region, ensuring facilities meet contemporary standards.

Impact on Catalan Communities

This funding will directly benefit hundreds of thousands of students and educators in communities throughout Catalonia. By addressing long-standing maintenance issues, the Generalitat aims to create more conducive and stimulating learning environments. The focus on older buildings ensures that schools most in need receive priority attention, particularly those constructed before the 1960s. This initiative reflects a broader strategy to enhance public services and support local councils in maintaining vital community assets for future generations.

As the Generalitat prepares to implement these significant upgrades, residents and educators across Catalonia anticipate improved facilities. The phased execution from 2026 to 2028 will systematically modernise the region’s public school estate, ensuring a better future for its students.

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Originally published by Europa Press Barcelona. Read original article.