Catalonia is on the verge of significant changes in school life: more than 400 public schools are considering canceling all excursions and trips unless authorities make concessions on teachers’ salaries and working conditions. This decision could impact not only educators, but also thousands of students, their families, and entire industries linked to educational tourism. According to El Pais, the initiative is a response to prolonged negotiations with the Department of Education and a lack of tangible changes following recent strikes.
In recent months, teachers in Catalonia have been actively pushing to improve their working conditions. Among their main demands are increasing staff to support children with special needs, reducing teachers’ workloads, decreasing the number of students per class, and raising pay. Although some unions have signed agreements with authorities, a significant number of staff regard these measures as insufficient and continue to insist on real changes.
Causes and consequences
The idea to suspend excursions and school trips emerged in February in several schools in the Maresme region and quickly spread across Catalonia. Teachers point out that organizing such activities requires significant effort and responsibility from them, yet they receive no extra pay. They believe a temporary halt to trips could effectively draw attention to the issue, as it affects not only schools but also external organizations—museums, transport companies, and holiday centers.
Some schools have already decided to cancel all trips that have not yet been paid for or booked. In addition, teachers are refusing to take part in activities outside school hours and are suspending projects not directly related to the educational process. Updates about these new restrictions are appearing on school websites and social media, causing concern among parents.
Reaction from parents and authorities
Parent associations, united under Affac, describe the situation as troubling but say they understand the teachers’ position. They stress that this is not a conflict within the education system, but a matter of ensuring quality learning for all children. Parents are urging Catalan authorities to find a solution as soon as possible to prevent further restrictions for students.
At the same time, according to El Pais, the Department of Education is trying to influence the situation through territorial offices and inspections in order to prevent voting on the initiative within teaching staffs. However, the number of schools supporting the action continues to grow, especially after the recent strike when many teachers took to the streets.
Negotiations and next steps
The unions that organized the strikes have invited representatives of the Catalan government to new talks. However, the meeting was postponed to Thursday due to a scheduling conflict with an executive council session. On the same morning, another meeting on staffing issues is set to take place, but the unions stated they would not participate in such discussions until full-scale negotiations over working conditions resume. If no compromise is reached, teachers are prepared to take further action in the third term.
According to El Pais, the situation in Catalonia reflects a broader trend across Spain, where issues of teachers’ pay and working conditions are becoming increasingly urgent. In recent years, similar protests have taken place in Madrid and Andalusia, where teachers have also demanded reduced workloads and increased education funding. In some regions, temporary cancellations of trips and excursions have already led to a review of government policies, but systemic changes have yet to occur. In Catalonia, the current initiative could become one of the largest in recent years if the number of supporting schools continues to grow.
