Overview

• The Education Ministry presented unions with a written draft that would cap weekly in-class hours at 23 in Infantil and Primaria and 18 in ESO, Bachillerato and other teachings, recentralizing the power to set lective hours.
• The document outlines four avenues to reduce class sizes: a general progressive cut, targeted reductions for groups with special educational needs, selected socially complex schools, and key transition grades including 5º–6º Primaria, 1º–2º ESO, FP Básica and Bachillerato.
• Government sources indicate a preference for targeted cuts, citing evidence that focused measures are more effective relative to cost than blanket reductions.
• No dedicated financing has been announced, and broader reductions would require legal changes and likely compensation to autonomous communities, according to Constitutional Court guidance.
• Unions welcomed receiving a concrete text but deem the proposal late or insufficient, with negotiations continuing and a follow-up meeting set for 9 October.