This academic year, the review of the staffing decree has been initiated, a regulation that previously allowed school and institute administrations to select up to half of their teaching staff. Despite initial assurances from Education regarding the security of these specialized positions, the agreement with the unions foresees a cut of more than half, reducing profiled positions from 7,361 to approximately 2,500 by the 2027-2028 academic year.
Administrations warn that this measure seriously compromises the viability and quality of unique educational projects. An example is the Escena en joc project at l'Estel de Barcelona school, which integrates performing arts into language learning. This project, coordinated by teachers specializing in visual and plastic education, will see this profile eliminated in the next two academic years, replaced by teachers assigned by competitive examination order, without considering their specialization.
“"The project could falter significantly. What we wanted was to continue working with artists and consolidate the project, but if the teachers who have to take it on are not there, it becomes quite difficult for me to imagine it can be maintained with the same quality."
Another affected project is robotics, led by Raquel Ortiz, a teacher specializing in digital competence. Her profile will also disappear, and if she does not secure a permanent position at the center through a transfer competition, she will be replaced by another civil servant. This situation creates uncertainty about the continuity of projects requiring very specific knowledge.
The staffing decree, approved in 2014, has been a subject of debate since its inception. While for administrations it is a fundamental tool for building stable teams and promoting long-term projects, unions have criticized it for allowing "discretionary" assignments of positions. The agreement with Comissions Obreres and UGT, aimed at improving teacher salaries, drastically reduces the number of profiled positions and eliminates profiles such as digital competence, globalized methodologies, and visual and plastic education.
They have used us as a bargaining chip in union negotiations.
International organizations such as UNESCO and the OECD emphasize the importance of school autonomy and the ability of administrations to select teaching staff, considering it a key factor in improving educational outcomes. In countries like Portugal, Estonia, or Finland, this practice is common, while in Spain, equal opportunities in public service are prioritized.
Many questions remain about how these changes will be implemented, including the resumption of interviews for teacher selection, which will now only be allowed in very specific cases such as hospital classrooms or newly created centers, and with the presence of union observers. The Professional Association of Educational Directors (AXIA) and the Official College of Doctors and Graduates in Philosophy and Letters and Sciences of Catalonia have filed appeals against this decision, warning of a "very notable step backward" in school autonomy.
