In L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, around one hundred people gathered in front of the Margarida Xirgu and Eugeni d’Ors institutes to express their disagreement with the start of ‘mossos’ service in educational institutions. Protesters—including teachers and students—hung banners on the buildings demanding an increase in social specialists and rejecting police measures. The demonstration took place on the day the first female police officer was scheduled to start working in these schools as part of a new pilot program.
The plan, initiated by the Departments of Education and Interior of Catalonia, provides for the presence of Mossos d’Esquadra officers in 13 schools in the region. The idea is to introduce plainclothes, unarmed police officers into schools to reduce conflict levels and maintain order. As noted by EL PAÍS, institutions with the most challenging situations were chosen for the pilot. In addition to supervision, the ‘mossos’ are expected to participate in mediation and work together with school administrations.
The teaching staff of both lyceums issued a joint statement rejecting the authorities’ experiment. In their view, schools already have qualified professionals—social integrators, teachers, and psychologists—who are capable of resolving complex situations without police intervention. The statement emphasizes that these employees possess the necessary skills to work with adolescents, carry out prevention, and provide emotional support. Additionally, the teachers pointed out staff reductions: this year, schools have 128 fewer specialists, including 25 teachers and 103 technical assistants.
The statement also notes that increasing police presence does not address the root of the problems and only further stigmatizes vulnerable groups, especially students with a migrant background. According to the teachers, such measures may reinforce negative trends and heighten social tension. They stress that the decision to launch the pilot project was made without consulting the educational community and contradicts the demands of trade unions, who are calling for an increase in the number of youth workers. In recent months, these demands have been voiced at mass strikes by education workers.
The issue of external bodies intervening in the educational process is not a new source of debate within Spain’s education system. For example, there has recently been discussion about parental influence on student autonomy at universities—read more about this in a separate article about the increase in family involvement in university affairs.
Teachers and students in L’Hospitalet insist that resolving school conflicts requires additional social resources, not police presence. They believe the authorities’ actions not only fail to improve the atmosphere but may also lead to new problems in the educational environment.
