A scandal has erupted in Valencia around Jordi Martí, Deputy Director General for Teacher Training. The official was dismissed after the contents of his book, published in 2022, came to light. In the book, he sharply criticized the teacher training system and made statements that, according to complainants, demean educators and touch on sensitive historical issues.
According to El Pais, the decision to dismiss him was made after an anonymous complaint was submitted through the confidential channel of the Valencian Community government. The complaint stated that the book ‘Educación 6.9: fábrica de gurús’ contained not only negative characterizations of teachers, but also expressions that could be seen as trivializing the Holocaust. Additionally, the text cited the use of sexually explicit language and harsh criticism of official teacher qualification recognition mechanisms.
Response from authorities and politicians
Valencian authorities confirmed that Jordi Martí submitted his resignation immediately after being informed of the complaint. His departure was processed the same day. According to El Pais, the book drew criticism not only from anonymous complainants but also from members of parliamentary parties. Socialists from PSPV publicly demanded Martí’s resignation, stressing that it is unacceptable to entrust someone with such views to oversee teacher training.
Deputy José Luis Lorenz stated that the party will continue to closely monitor the actions of the new government, which, according to him, does not support the development of the state education system. He also expressed regret that key decisions in teacher training have ended up in the hands of an official who questioned the value of teachers’ professional growth.
Details of the complaint and consequences
The content of Jordi Martí’s book became a topic of discussion not only in the government, but also in the Valencian Community Parliament. An anonymous complaint was sent to four parliamentary factions at once. It noted that part of the criticism of the teacher qualification recognition system concerned structures led by Martí himself. Authorities emphasized that the decision to dismiss him was made taking all circumstances into account and in order to maintain trust in the region’s education system.
The scandal around the official’s book has become another reason to discuss the quality and independence of Spain’s teacher training system. In recent years, questions of funding and education reform have repeatedly become topics of public debate. For example, earlier in Madrid, a large-scale protest took place against budget cuts for schools and universities, as covered in detail in the article about mass protests against education budget cuts.
According to El Pais, the book “Educación 6.9: fábrica de gurús” was publicly announced by Jordi Martí on his XarxaTIC blog in August 2022. The official himself has held the position of Deputy Director General for Teacher Training since the beginning of 2024. The Valencian authorities assured that they would pay close attention to issues of ethics and professionalism in the education sector.
