Strike Halts First Day of Term

More than 16,000 pupils in Sant Cugat began the 2026–2027 school year on Tuesday, 8 September, under the shadow of a teachers’ strike. The regional education unions USTEC and CGT called the industrial action to demand increased public education funding, smaller class sizes and better working conditions. Essential services are maintained, with one teacher covering every three classes in infant, primary and secondary education.

The first day of school is a moment for celebration, not protest. I urge the unions to reconsider.

, Esther Niubó, Minister of Education The strike follows months of tension over chronic underfunding, with teachers demanding that education spending reach 6% of GDP. They also seek full staffing for inclusive education, climate-resilient infrastructure and salary adjustments tied to inflation.

Heat and Infrastructure Concerns

The start of term coincides with high temperatures, reigniting concerns over classroom heat. At Institut Angeleta Ferrer, indoor readings have regularly exceeded 30°C, prompting warnings from parents. The campaign group Aules que cremen has documented unsafe conditions across several schools. While the Generalitat holds responsibility for climate control in public centres, the Sant Cugat council has invested €1 million over two years in cooling measures. This includes installing 13 air conditioning units and 32 ceiling fans in municipal nursery schools, plus 306 ceiling fans in primary and infant classrooms. A new aerothermal cooling system has been completed at Tricicle and Cavall Fort nurseries at a cost of €340,000.

Building Works Disrupt Classes

Students at Institut-Escola Catalunya will study partially from the Mira-sol Cultural Centre during the first months of term. Building renovations, backed by a €505,000 investment from the town hall, were delayed due to administrative issues with the contractor and only began on 10 August. Work is now expected to continue until November. Improvements include updated flooring, refurbished bathrooms, repainted walls and reinforced corridor finishes across both the infant and primary buildings. The Ajuntament confirmed the works were scheduled for summer but were postponed by the contractor’s failure to begin on time.

Falling Enrollment and Changing School Status

Sant Cugat’s schools open this year with 16,206 pupils, a 2.9% drop from 2025–2026. Public schools host 6,789 students (down 325), while subsidised private (concertado) schools report 4,707 (a fall of 1,334). The steep decline in concertado enrolment follows the transition of La Farga and Viaró schools to fully private status in certain stages, including primary and ESO, after maintaining gender segregation. At Escola Olivera, plans for an additional first-year primary class were dropped due to insufficient demand. However, a new first-year ESO group has opened at Institut Angeleta Ferrer to meet rising local need.

Safer Routes to School

The council has upgraded safety around several schools, including traffic calming near Joan Maragall School, pedestrian improvements on Santa Teresa Street, completion of Solà Street’s pedestrianisation and reduced traffic on Avinguda de Can Bellet. Fifteen crossings and intersections have also been enhanced. The planned school route through La Floresta, linking the Diari bridge to the local school, remains pending.

Primary sources: cugat.cat, premsa.santcugat.cat, decidim.santcugat.cat, govern.cat, santcugat.cat. Reported by aulesquecremen.cat, elcugatenc.cat, totsantcugat.cat, TOT Sant Cugat.