Catalonia’s government has unveiled a €2.5 billion plan to modernize public schools and tackle extreme classroom temperatures. Despite the headline investment, most schools will not receive air conditioning. The rollout faces logistical and financial hurdles.
Thousands of students and teachers in Catalonia will keep facing sweltering classrooms, even as the regional government rolls out a €2.5 billion plan to update public schools. Despite talk of climate-controlled spaces, air conditioning will remain out of reach for most.
The new Plan Actualiza Clima promises upgrades for all 2,530 public schools in Catalonia over the next five years. But the details show that “climatization” often means new windows, insulation, or mechanical ventilation—not air conditioning. For the 26% of school buildings that predate 1960, the focus is on basics like sealing windows and reinforcing facades, not installing cooling systems. According to RTVE and government statements, the first phase will target 100 priority schools with a €100 million budget. Tenders are expected to open in early 2027, with work scheduled to finish during the 2027–2028 school year.
The Catalan government has allocated a separate €20 million emergency fund to install fans in 392 schools and institutes by 2026, as a stopgap until major renovations are completed.
Teachers’ unions have criticized earlier efforts. The last administration handed out thousands of fans, but these did little during heatwaves, just moving hot air around. This summer, only 228 of a promised 400 schools received new fans, despite record heat. Frustration among teachers has led to threats of new protests, with the Assembly of Education preparing further action. Both union and media sources have called these temporary fixes inadequate, saying they don’t solve the problem of overheated classrooms.
The first 100 schools chosen for upgrades were selected based on building condition and student vulnerability. These projects, with a €100 million budget, are supposed to be finished by summer 2028, which lines up with the end of the current legislative term. The rest of the plan is less clear. There’s no firm timeline or guarantee that all schools will see real improvements within five years. Local news reports say the selection process favors schools in the worst shape and those serving the most vulnerable students, but further progress depends on city governments and their budgets.
Much of the cost and responsibility falls to local municipalities. The Generalitat plans to use public-private partnerships for secondary schools, but primary schools and nurseries are left to city councils. The government admits its own infrastructure agency, Infraestructures.cat, can’t handle the scale of the work alone. Cities are expected to pay upfront, with the promise of gradual reimbursement by the Generalitat through 2037.
Official and media reports indicate that about 26% of Catalonia's school buildings are older than 1960/1965, making them a priority for basic energy efficiency improvements before any air conditioning is considered. This structural challenge means that many schools will first receive upgrades like insulation and new windows rather than immediate cooling solutions.
RTVE and regional government sources
Barcelona’s city government has already tried a similar approach, using €100 million from tourist taxes to retrofit 170 schools with aerothermal systems and solar panels. But this model leaves out secondary schools and depends on local funding that isn’t available everywhere.
Even though classroom temperatures have often topped 35°C in recent years, there’s no official count of how many schools already have air conditioning or how many will get it. Some temporary classrooms (“barracones”) are equipped, but most permanent buildings are not. The government considers 392 centers “thermally comfortable” simply because they’re scheduled to get fans this year—a standard many teachers say falls short.
For families and teachers, the problem is immediate. Prolonged heat disrupts learning, affects health, and deepens the gap between well-funded and neglected schools. The government’s plan is ambitious on paper but full of caveats, and depends on local cooperation and uncertain funding. For most students, relief from overheated classrooms is still a long way off. The Illa administration’s climate plan looks more like a political patch than a real fix for the growing crisis in public education.
