Granollers is facing potential staffing challenges for its summer activities programme, "Fes-te l'estiu 2026", which runs from 29 June to 31 July. The programme, aimed at children and young people aged 3 to 16, includes leisure camps, music stays, sports, and linguistic activities. However, a wider regional concern about the availability of qualified monitors is casting a shadow over these plans.
The municipal programme, which saw pre-registrations close on 5 May, with a draw on 7 May and enrolment from 11 to 18 May, is extensive. It also supports proposals from local parents' associations and the Esplai Guai de Palou camp, including overnight stays. A new pre-monitor course for 14 to 17-year-olds has been introduced, signalling a proactive approach to future staffing, although these pre-monitors cannot immediately fill the roles requiring qualified staff.
Evidence of the shortage is visible in the job market. ACELLEC, the Catalan Association of Leisure, Education, and Culture Companies, has open positions for summer camp directors and monitors in Granollers. Similar vacancies exist for school camp monitors, dining room staff, and relief positions across the Vallès Oriental region, highlighting a fundamental concern for the sector: who will lead these groups?
Regional Staffing Pressures
The issue extends beyond Granollers. Cardedeu has launched an urgent selection process for summer camp monitors, with applications open from 5 to 14 May 2026. The local council described the need as "maximum urgency". Cardedeu's "Viu l'estiu 2026" campaign offers municipal camps from 22 June to 24 July, with 5% of places reserved for children with recognised functional diversity or at risk of social exclusion. Such comprehensive offerings require sufficient, stable, and trained personnel.
The Vallès Oriental Regional Council also addressed the issue in March 2026. The council discussed agreements to organise summer camps for children and young people with intellectual disabilities attending special education centres like Montserrat Montero and Can Vila. The council noted the importance of continuing collaboration with involved municipalities, including Granollers, Canovelles, Cardedeu, La Garriga, and Gualba. For inclusive and special education camps, a lack of staff directly impacts family reconciliation, care for children with specific needs, and access to educational summer experiences.
Teacher Disputes and Overnight Stays
A deeper conflict within the education system contributes to the staffing problem. On 21 April 2026, the Catalan government approved a €50 per night compensation for teachers and educational support staff accompanying overnight school trips or camps. This agreement, made with CCOO and UGT, applies from the 2026-2027 academic year, with a maximum of two staff per group and indicative night allowances based on educational stage.
However, this agreement has not resolved tensions. USTEC, a critical union, published a guide on 11 March, advising school boards and councils on how to opt out of overnight trips as a protest to "dignify the profession". Other unions, including Professors de Secundària, CGT, and Intersindical, have maintained pressure. On 28 April, they announced 17 strike days until the end of the academic year, with regional strikes affecting Maresme, Vallès Occidental, and Vallès Oriental on 19 and 28 May. Their demands go beyond compensation for overnight stays, including calls for purchasing power recovery, reduced student-to-teacher ratios, more staff, and less bureaucracy.
Recent data further complicates the situation. On 6 May, the organisers of the "Aturem les sortides educatives" (Let's Stop Educational Trips) manifesto reported that 905 public schools had committed to not organising trips or camps next academic year without a grassroots-backed agreement. This figure represents 40% of public schools and institutes in Catalonia, indicating the conflict is far from over and is now affecting the day-to-day organisation of schools.
Regulatory Requirements for Camps
Leisure camps and overnight stays are not subject to improvised solutions. Catalan regulations mandate specific ratios, qualifications, documentation, and insurance. JOVECAT refers to Decree 267/2016, which governs leisure education activities involving minors under 18. This decree covers personnel, qualifications, activity communication, ratios, documentation, and insurance.
The official ratio table for activities with participants aged 3 and over generally requires one leader for every 10 participants or fraction thereof, with minimums and qualification requirements. For camps, overnight stays, camping, work camps, and routes, specific monitor roles are defined. This regulatory framework means that simply finding "enthusiastic young people" is not enough to staff these programmes; qualified and compliant personnel are essential.
Looking ahead, the ongoing negotiations between the government and teaching unions, alongside local recruitment efforts, will determine the full extent of the impact on summer programmes in Granollers and across Catalonia. The ability to secure sufficient qualified staff remains a key challenge for the upcoming summer season. The outcome will directly affect families' ability to balance work and childcare, and children's access to educational and recreational activities.
