Catalonia’s education system is under scrutiny after repeated poor results. The OECD recommends more authority for school leaders, better teacher training, and increased funding for complex schools.
The OECD has delivered a critical report on Catalonia’s education system, calling for urgent reforms after years of disappointing student performance. The study, commissioned by the regional government, highlights persistent inequalities and declining learning outcomes, urging a shift in how schools are managed and resourced.
Presented by the Department of Education, the report—titled Mejorar los resultados del aprendizaje en Cataluña—identifies six main priorities. These include empowering school leadership, overhauling teacher career development, improving the use of student assessment data, and allocating resources based on the complexity of each school. The OECD also stresses the need to evaluate the implementation of inclusive education policies.
One of the most significant recommendations is to give school directors greater authority, particularly in selecting teaching staff. While Catalonia’s current regulations allow some flexibility, union resistance has limited the practical impact of these measures. The OECD argues that stronger leadership is essential for driving educational improvement and adapting to the diverse needs of students.
Teacher training is another focal point. The report calls for more practical, higher-quality initial training at the university level, as well as a structured career path that allows educators to specialize or take on mentoring roles. Reducing administrative burdens on school leaders is also seen as key to enabling them to focus on pedagogical leadership.
On inclusion, the OECD points to ongoing challenges with school segregation and the support of vulnerable students. The report recommends boosting emotional and psychological support in classrooms, refining admissions policies to combat segregation, and ensuring resources are distributed according to the specific challenges faced by each school. Rather than simply increasing staff numbers, the emphasis is on equipping teachers and administrators to implement inclusive practices effectively.
Assessment practices in Catalonia are described as data-rich but underutilized. The OECD notes that while there is extensive information on student and system performance, these insights are rarely translated into concrete policies or classroom strategies. The report urges a more systematic approach to using evaluation results to inform decision-making at all levels.
Funding and governance round out the OECD’s recommendations. The report suggests that priorities should be clearly defined, with resources, programs, and implementation strategies aligned accordingly. This approach aims to ensure that investment is targeted where it can have the greatest impact, particularly in schools facing higher levels of complexity.
The release of the OECD report comes after a period of intense debate over Catalonia’s education results. The regional government commissioned the study following a series of poor outcomes in both local and international assessments, including PISA. The decision to involve the OECD, at a cost of €1.5 million, was controversial, as some experts argued that similar analyses had already been conducted locally and that immediate action was needed rather than further diagnosis.
According to the OECD, Catalonia benefits from high participation rates and a relatively favorable economic and institutional context. However, these strengths are offset by persistent socioeconomic disparities and a worrying trend of declining student achievement. The report’s findings echo concerns raised in previous analyses, such as those discussed in recent coverage of stagnating education results and widening inequality in Catalonia.
For context, Catalonia’s education system serves over 1.5 million students across public and private schools. The region has long prided itself on educational innovation, but recent years have seen mounting pressure to address gaps in achievement and equity. The OECD’s recommendations are expected to shape policy discussions throughout the current legislative term, with a phased plan for diagnosis, implementation, consolidation, and dissemination stretching through 2028. The challenge now lies in translating these proposals into effective action amid ongoing debates over funding, governance, and the role of school leadership.
