Catalonia’s Education Department will send inspectors to schools to ensure scheduled trips go ahead, after more than 1,350 public schools joined a campaign to suspend outings over working conditions.
Education officials in Catalonia are stepping up their response to a growing teachers' protest, announcing that inspectors will visit schools to make sure all planned excursions and outings take place. The move follows a coordinated campaign by teaching staff, with more than 1,350 public schools—over half in the region—suspending trips and overnight stays to push for better working conditions. Reports from Crónica Global and El Nacional describe the scale of the protest as unprecedented in recent years, pointing to deep frustration among educators.
The campaign has disrupted the usual school calendar. While overnight camps (colonias) are not mandatory and remain outside the department’s direct control, the Education Department insists that day trips and excursions are a required part of the curriculum and must go ahead. Education Minister Esther Niubó has said inspectors will intervene if scheduled outings are removed from the official program, stressing that compliance is not optional when these activities are part of the academic plan. According to Democrata, the department’s position is that inspection services are responsible for making sure planned curricular excursions happen, while optional overnight trips are not enforced.
"The new 'mapa de recursos' launched in Catalonia provides families with data on staff, resources, and investments for each school, and will be expanded in future phases."
— El Periódico
The decision has drawn criticism from the Síndica de Greuges de Cataluña, who argues that canceling trips hits the most vulnerable students hardest. The ombudsman’s office has called for all outings and camps to be reinstated, warning that their absence increases educational inequality. The department, however, maintains that only non-mandatory activities fall outside its remit, while curricular excursions must be enforced. According to elDiario.es, the Síndic de Greuges has stressed that canceling school excursions worsens existing disparities, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Alongside the enforcement push, the Education Department has launched a new online resource map for schools. Still in development, the tool gives families provisional data on staff numbers, support resources, and recent investments at each school. The aim is to increase transparency and help parents make informed choices. The map covers both public and semi-private (concertados) schools at all educational stages, with updates planned as more data becomes available. As El Periódico reports, the map also includes municipal nursery schools and other publicly funded institutions, reflecting a broader effort to make resource allocation more transparent.
These developments come as Catalonia’s education system faces pressure on several fronts. Recent reports highlight a shortage of special education places, leaving many families struggling to find adequate support. The current standoff over school trips adds to the tension, exposing the fragile relationship between teachers, administrators, and policymakers. According to Catalan News and Ara, the recent strike on September 8 and mass demonstrations in Barcelona and other cities reflect a wider labor conflict, with teachers demanding better working conditions, lighter workloads, and more resources for schools.
"Disputes over compensation for supervising school trips have fueled tensions: the department previously offered 50 euros per night for a maximum of two nights, but many teachers consider this insufficient. Official figures put strike participation at around 9.3% of staff, though unions report higher numbers."
— Catalan News
The result is a school system under strain, where even routine activities like outings have become flashpoints in a broader dispute over resources and working conditions. The department’s decision to send inspectors signals a tougher stance, focusing on enforcing rules rather than negotiation. While the new resource map is a step toward transparency, it does little to address the underlying issues driving teacher unrest. Until staffing and support problems are resolved, enforcement measures risk deepening mistrust rather than restoring normality in Catalan schools.
