Junts, Barcelona en Comú (BComú), and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) have forced an extraordinary Social Rights commission at Barcelona City Council. Their aim is to prevent a pilot scheme, which would send plainclothes Mossos d'Esquadra officers into educational centres, from being applied in the city.
Although no Barcelona institute is among those chosen by the Department of Education for the trial, the three municipal groups are asking the council to urge the Generalitat to withdraw the plan. They believe the department's initiative “goes beyond a specific measure” and represents a “change of model in the role of the police in educational centres,” according to a joint statement.
“It is proposed that it goes from being a complementary and specific resource to forming an structural part of the daily life of institutes,” the groups stated. This situation, they warn, transforms centres into “surveillance spaces,” which could “deteriorate coexistence and weaken the educational relationship.” International evidence, they note, suggests that police presence “can contribute to the criminalisation of minor behaviours” in some cases.
Prioritising Educational Resources
In light of these concerns, the groups are asking Jaume Collboni's government to speak out against the pilot scheme. They advocate for an alternative model focused on prevention and strengthening educational and social resources. They propose increasing the number of social educators, psychologists, and guidance counsellors in all centres.
The proposal also includes expanding the number of support staff during lunchtime and extracurricular activities. Additionally, it calls for reinforcing social intervention teams to address underlying inequalities.
Widespread Opposition to Police Plan
Trade unions have also strongly criticised the pilot plan announced by the government. They believe that having police in schools will not bring any positive outcomes and that what centres truly need “are more educational resources.”
Four centres have already requested to withdraw from the plan. One of these is the Margarida Xirgu Institute in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, where teachers have demonstrated to show their displeasure with the initiative. The future of the pilot scheme remains uncertain as opposition grows, with calls for the Generalitat to reconsider its approach and invest in educational support instead of increased policing.
