Secondary school students bid summer farewell earlier than ever
No teacher strikes and no Covid restrictions for first time in three years
Over half a million secondary school, pre-university course, and vocational education students in Catalonia bid farewell to summer on Wednesday morning, returning to the classroom for the 2022-2023 academic year earlier than ever, as was the case for younger children on Monday.
Not only will this year take off marked by the historic calendar shift that aims to improve households' work-life balance, but it will be the first in three years that begins with absolutely no Covid measures, a welcome change for the pandemic-weary youth.
The academic year will also not kick off with teacher strikes, as was initially expected, following an agreement between unions and education department authorities. Teachers' workloads will be reduced by an hour per week from January, a long-standing demand dating back to the post-2008 financial crisis budget cuts. They haven't, however, ruled out protests further down the line.
The 25% Spanish quota that would have put an end to the Catalan immersion system has been put on hold, for now, as the Catalan parliament recently passed a law to protect it, but it could be struck down by the Constitutional Court.
Students, especially those in pre-university courses, will have to wait a few weeks to see changes to the curriculum implemented. The education department is still working on modifications that will allow students to take more electives.
2022-2023 academic year in figures
All in all, 333,659 students ages 12 to 16 have enrolled in secondary schools across Catalonia, while there are 98,577 ages 16 to 18 in pre-university courses, fewer than last year due to demographic changes.
Around two-thirds of secondary school students will be attending public schools this year, with the remaining third private or semi-private centers. Meanwhile, over 67% of pre-university students are enrolled in public schools and just under a third are in private and semi-private schools.
The Catalan education department expects there will be around 142,000 students in vocational education programs by the time the enrollment period ends.