Catalonia’s Department of Education has told 25 institute schools they must abandon the intensive school day and adopt a split schedule starting next academic year. The decision affects the last group of such centers in the region, ending a transitional arrangement that let them keep a compacted timetable for nearly a decade. Students aged three to eighteen will be affected, and the change has reignited debate over secondary school hours.
The intensive day was introduced during Artur Mas’s tenure as a cost-saving measure amid widespread budget cuts. Teachers gained free afternoons, while the administration cut spending on school meals and scholarships, as well as utility costs. With ERC’s arrival in government, a gradual reversal began, starting with institute schools. Authorities have now moved to align secondary schedules with basic students’ timetables, as required by the latest school calendar order.
Under the new regulation, secondary students in institute schools will have no more than two afternoons per week without classes. Until now, the compacted schedule had been renewed each year as an exception; that moratorium has now been lifted. Feixes de Terrassa is among the affected schools and had already received early notice of the change. Teachers have raised logistical concerns, particularly over whether school canteens can accommodate more students staying for lunch. They also say the new schedule disrupts their work-life balance and question its educational benefits.
Parent associations, represented by Affac, have consistently backed the split schedule in secondary education. They argue it prevents teenagers from starting their day too early and helps ensure they eat lunch at a reasonable hour. It also reduces the likelihood of students being left unsupervised at home in the afternoons. In their view, the split schedule better supports family routines and student well-being.
Institute schools in Catalonia serve students across a wide age range, combining basic and secondary education. The shift to a split schedule brings these centers into line with most schools in the region, where the standard timetable includes morning and afternoon sessions. School hours remain contentious across Spain, and regions take different approaches.
