Families across Catalonia showed a slight increase in their preference for public schools for the upcoming academic year, according to new data. This trend emerged despite a period of significant industrial action by public education staff, including strikes and protests.
Approximately 100,000 families in Catalonia applied for school places in early March. The application period for Infantil 3 (I3) started on 4 March, and for the first year of ESO (secondary education) on 6 March. This coincided with a challenging period for public education, marked by two major demonstrations on 15 November and 24 January, and a general strike with slogans like "educating the future with resources from the past". Teachers protested a lack of staff in public classrooms and demanded better pay, according to the USTEC union, which delivered 50,000 signatures to the Catalan Parliament calling for the dignification of the profession.
During the two-week application window, negotiations between the Catalan government and most education unions failed, leading to further planned mobilisations for the week of 16 to 20 March. Despite this backdrop of crisis, the data does not show a negative impact on public school applications. Lidón Gasull, director of AFFAC, which represents most parent associations in Catalonia, stated that the strikes were "very much embraced by families" and believed there was no link between the strikes and families' choices. Gasull added that the strikes would "have a positive impact on educational centres because resources will be obtained from them."
Public School Preference Grows
For I3, 67.05% of families requested a public school as their first choice for the current academic year. This proportion increased to 67.92% for the upcoming year, a rise of almost one percentage point. A similar pattern was observed for secondary education applications. For the current year, 87.48% of families chose a public institute as their first option, increasing slightly to 87.54% for the next academic year.
While public education is prioritised by most families across Catalonia, the balance between public and state-subsidised private schools varies significantly by region and educational stage. Notably, after four years of decline, requests for state-subsidised private schools at the infant stage have risen for three consecutive years.
Regional differences are pronounced for I3 applications, with a difference of up to 35 percentage points between territories. The areas with the highest percentage of families requesting a public centre as their first option are Terres de l'Ebre (85.5%), Alt Pirineu (83.6%), and Girona (81.2%). In contrast, Barcelona (50.2%), Barcelonès (56.9%), and Vallès Occidental (60.6%) showed less preference for public schools.
Secondary Education Choices and Factors
For entry into ESO, the proportion of families seeking a public institute is much higher. In all 12 territorial services, this proportion exceeds 70%. In most regions, nine out of ten families requested a public institute for their child next year. Again, Barcelona (71.6%), Barcelonès (83.3%), and Vallès Occidental (85.8%) had the lowest percentages of first-option public school applications.
Maria Segurola, head of policies against school segregation at Equitat.org, explained that a family's strong preference for one model over another usually plays a minor role in their choice. She said that families who can be strategic often create a preference list based on where they have the best chance of entry, potentially listing a public school as a first option and a state-subsidised private school as a second if both are nearby.
A 2010 study, 'Families Facing School Choice', published by the Bofill Foundation, identified proximity and the educational project as the most influential factors for I3 families. Specifically, 62% of families considered the school's proximity to home or work a priority. The educational project was a factor for 44.3%, the presence of siblings at the centre for 28%, facilities for 25%, the possibility of continuing secondary education at the same centre for 22.4%, and the school being publicly owned for 21.1%.
Impact of School Offer and Over-supply
The availability of places is a key factor. Segurola noted that for secondary education, there are very few places in state-subsidised private schools because entire primary groups often move up together, filling most places automatically. Many primary schools also have affiliated secondary institutes, both public and state-subsidised private, making it natural for most students to continue in those centres.
Over-supply is another factor influencing choices. In Barcelona, the number of empty school places in these applications was similar to that seen during the pandemic. Managing over-supply requires closing school lines. Gasull criticised the "preventive" closure of public school lines before applications, which she said disadvantages public education. She added that adjustments for demographic decline have been made more in public schools than in state-subsidised private schools, without a corresponding resolution of state subsidies, which she believes should have happened.
