25 students per classroom in secondary school: the Spanish government will lower the student-teacher ratios in high schools

BarcelonaThe Spanish government on Tuesday approved, in its first reading, the draft bill that reduces class sizes—that is, the maximum number of students per classroom—in schools and high schools. Specifically, the government of Pedro Sánchez plans to set a maximum of 22 students in primary school classes, down from the current 25, and a maximum of 25 students in secondary school (ESO), five fewer than the current 30. These new class sizes will be rolled out gradually across the country in stages: starting with preschool and primary school in the 2027-2028 academic year; the following year, 2028-2029, the change will be consolidated in secondary school; and in 2029-2030 in upper secondary school (Bachillerato), "to achieve full implementation in the 2031-2032 academic year," the government stated in a press release. According to the Ministry of Education, the aim of amending Law 4/2019 on improving the conditions for teaching and learning in non-university education is to correct the inequalities detected between autonomous communities, improve teachers' working conditions, and achieve more individualized attention. After its approval this Tuesday, the Spanish government now expects the future bill to be processed by the Cortes Generales (Spanish Parliament) starting in January or February and is confident of majority support from all political parties, including Junts.

In Catalonia, government sources assure that the change in student-teacher ratios will especially affect secondary school groups, since the Generalitat (Catalan government) has been significantly reducing ratios in preschool for the past four years. Regarding ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education), however, the Minister of Education, Esther Niubó, admitted this September that the forecast for the 2025-2026 academic year was that in the first year of ESO, 85% of public school groups would have a ratio of 29 students or fewer, and 97% would have 30 or fewer. The Federation of Associations of Families of Students of Catalonia (AFFAC) also calculated that to achieve the goal announced by President Pedro Sánchez of reducing the student-teacher ratio in the first year of ESO... We would have to open up to 169 groups109 in public schools and 60 in private schools.

Special needs and a vulnerability index

Another new feature of this draft bill is that each student with special educational needs (SEN) will count as two places in publicly funded schools. "There is a general consensus that reducing the number of students per classroom improves student support, facilitates the application of the basic principles of inclusive education and attention to diversity, and also reduces teachers' workload," the ministry argues. It remains to be seen what impact this measure will have in Catalonia, where, according to data from the Catalan Department of Education itself, there are approximately 43,300 students with special educational needs in the Catalan education system. The document also establishes that, in general, the weekly teaching hours for teachers will be 23 in preschool, primary, and special education, and 18 hours in all other levels. Exceptionally, and due to organizational needs, a maximum of 20 hours may be reached, compensated with two additional hours for each extra teaching period. According to government funding, this element will not require any changes in Catalonia. Both the new school day and the double recognition of students with special educational needs will come into effect next school year, according to the project's timeline. "This is the legislature for teachers," argued the Minister of Education and spokesperson for the Spanish government, Pilar Alegría. The Ministry of Education is also working with the National Institute of Statistics (INE) on developing a socioeconomic vulnerability index to identify schools that, due to the type of students or their location, for example, face particularly complex situations. This indicator will be based on a mathematical formula and multiple variables (such as the socioeconomic context of the household, among others) and will serve to establish the degree of vulnerability of each student. It is expected that these resources will be prepared within six months of the law's entry into force. The draft bill, however, has been approved in its first reading, meaning the Spanish government can still introduce amendments before the official text is approved and sent to the Valencian Parliament (Les Corts). In fact, during the legislative process, it will be subject to negotiation with trade unions and the autonomous communities, the government indicated.