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 ensure planned excursions and outings take place. More than 1,350 public schools, over half in the region, have suspended trips and overnight stays in a coordinated campaign for better working conditions. Reports from Crónica Global and El Nacional describe the protest as unprecedented in recent years, reflecting deep frustration among educators.
The campaign has disrupted the usual school calendar. Overnight camps (colonias) are not mandatory and remain outside the department’s direct control, but the Education Department says day trips and excursions are required parts 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 activities included in the academic plan are not optional. Democrata reports that inspection services are responsible for ensuring planned curricular excursions take place, while optional overnight trips are not enforced.
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 maintains that only non-mandatory activities fall outside its remit, while curricular excursions must go ahead. elDiario.es reports that 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 staffing and support at each school, along with recent investments. It aims to increase transparency and help parents make informed choices. The map covers public and semi-private (concertados) schools at all educational stages, with updates planned as more data becomes available. El Periódico reports that it also includes municipal nursery schools and other publicly funded institutions, as part of a broader effort to make resource allocation more transparent.
Catalonia’s education system is facing pressure on several fronts. Recent reports highlight a shortage of special education places, leaving many families struggling to find adequate support. The standoff over school trips adds to tensions between teachers and administrators, with policymakers also involved. Catalan News and Ara report that the September 8 strike and mass demonstrations in Barcelona and other cities reflect a wider labor conflict. Teachers are demanding better working conditions and lighter workloads, while also calling for more resources for schools. Disputes over compensation for supervising trips have also fueled tensions: the department previously offered 50 euros per night for a maximum of two nights, which many teachers consider insufficient. Catalan News reports that official figures put strike participation at around 9.3% of staff, while unions report higher numbers.
The department’s decision to send inspectors signals a tougher stance focused on enforcing rules. 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.
