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Spain Plans National Cap on Teachers’ Lective Hours, Targets Class-Size Cuts for Vulnerable Students

A draft law would reclaim state control over in-class hours to ensure uniform rules across regions.

Overview

  • The Education Ministry handed unions a written plan capping weekly in‑class teaching at 23 hours in Infantil/Primaria and 18 in ESO/Bachillerato.
  • A separate draft law would return authority to the central government to set lective hours to end disparities created by regional rules.
  • The proposal outlines four paths to reduce class sizes, prioritizing groups with special educational needs, schools with high social complexity, and key transition years including FP Básica and Bachillerato.
  • The ministry will work with the national statistics institute (INE) to design an index that pinpoints schools where ratio reductions are most necessary.
  • Unions welcomed having proposals in writing but criticized the scope and timing and signaled possible mobilization, with talks due to resume on 9 October.