A secondary school in Tàrrega, Lleida province, has formally requested to withdraw from a pilot programme that places plainclothes police officers in classrooms, the Department of Education confirmed yesterday. Another school in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat has also asked to leave the scheme, according to education sources. Conversely, a centre in Baix Llobregat has applied to join the programme.
This development comes as the Ustec teachers' union stated that five school faculties have voted against participating in the pilot. The Desmilitaritzem Lleida (Demilitarise Lleida) platform also voiced its opposition to the government's plan. Spokesperson Jaume Añé argued that the measure "stigmatises" public education, claiming schools need different support.
Opposition to Police Presence
Añé's comments highlight a broader concern among some educational bodies and platforms regarding the militarisation of educational spaces. Desmilitaritzem Lleida recently registered a collective complaint with the Municipal Citizen Attention Office against the presence of the army at the FormaOcupa fair, further illustrating their stance on such issues.
The pilot programme, which involves plainclothes Mossos d'Esquadra officers, is designed to address security concerns within schools. However, critics like Ustec and Desmilitaritzem Lleida argue that it introduces an unwelcome police presence into learning environments, potentially creating an atmosphere of distrust rather than safety.
Moving forward, the Department of Education will review the requests from the Tàrrega and L'Hospitalet schools, as well as the application from the Baix Llobregat centre. The decisions made will likely influence the future scope and public perception of the controversial pilot programme.
