The start of the 2026-2027 academic year in Palafrugell was celebrated yesterday at the Municipal Education Center with an event that brought together the educational community. The day served to honor nine teachers who retired during the 2025-2026 academic year, present local educational awards, and reflect on the sector's current challenges.
The conference Education in Times of Informational and Democratic Crisis, led by Dr. Joan Manuel del Pozo, was a focal point of the event, addressing the role of education in the face of contemporary social and informational changes.
Nine teachers received special recognition for their careers: Mercè Girona Dilla (Escola Torres Jonama), Esperança Teixidor Marimon and Maria Àngels Gamundi Carolà (Escola Vedruna), Albert Requena and Enric Nolla (Institut Baix Empordà), Cèlia Garbí and Montse Ordóñez (Institut Frederic Martí Carreras), and Vicenç Rigau i Borrell and Carles Blasco Moner (Centre Prats de la Carrera). The mayor of Palafrugell, Laura Millán, thanked them for their dedication, highlighting the importance of teaching beyond knowledge transmission.
The Josep Pallach Award 2026 for journalistic articles on educational transversality was presented to Enric Roca Casas, a pedagogue and director of Edu21, for his article From Tutoring to Mentoring, published in El Punt Avui. The award includes a prize of 1,150 euros. The City Council also recognized the Josep Pallach Foundation and Josep Maria Soler for keeping Pallach's legacy alive.
The 9th “Palafrugell és Educació” Photography Award recognized five images. Manel Cruz Riera won the first prize (300 euros) for Sea of Knowledge. The second prize (130 euros) went to Alba Pareras de la Cruz for Learning Together, taken at the municipal summer camp. Other awardees included Mithail Afrige Chowdhury (third prize), Francisco Javier Domínguez García (fourth prize), and José Reyes Belzunce (fifth prize).
The City Council emphasized its commitment to continue providing educational centers with resources and staff to address increasing diversity. Sociocultural support, support teachers in public schools, subsidies for parent associations, and maintenance work will continue. Additionally, a subsidy line is being prepared to install air conditioning systems in schools to adapt them to heatwaves.
The event also commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Municipal Education Center, now the Núria Ribas Mascarós Municipal Education Center, highlighting its role as a space for training and opportunities. The mayor advocated for Catalan schools and the Catalan language as tools for cohesion and equal opportunities.
