The image, part of a documentary collection, shows a student dressed in a school gown and espadrilles, sitting with a book, looking directly at the camera. This snapshot captures the 1929-1930 course, just before the school moved to new facilities.
The public school in Sant Cugat had operated since the 19th century and had occupied various premises, with the Monastery Cloister being one of the most problematic. The spaces were described as damp, dark, with high and inaccessible ceilings, poor ventilation, and dirty walls, hindering teaching activity.
near the cemetery and the slaughterhouse, isolated and far from the population
Complaints about the conditions were constant. As early as 1865, the teachers warned of the isolated location near unhealthy areas. Later, in 1907, a municipal doctor warned about the severe lack of light and fresh air in the classrooms. Despite these difficulties, the text highlights that the children played among the columns and capitals of the cloister.
The definitive change came in 1932 with the move to the so-called “Col·legis Nous” (New Schools), modern facilities inaugurated by the then president of the Generalitat, Francesc Macià. The 1929-1930 photograph is preserved as a living testimony of education under complex conditions at the beginning of the 20th century.
