Catalan Government to not renew subsidy for schools that segregate by gender

BarcelonaDespite the fact that it is a public holiday in the work calendar because it is Columbus Day -which in Spain is celebrated as "el día de la Hispanidad", "Hispanity Day"), the Catalan Government wanted to hold its traditional Tuesday meeting of the executive council to show that, on a day like today, it has "nothing to celebrate". In the subsequent public appearance, an important agreement was reached: the Generalitat has announced that it will not definitively renew the agreement with schools that segregate by gender. "In the 21st century there can be no public funding for schools that continue to separate boys and girls in the classroom. Segregation increases stereotypes and legitimises sexism", justified the Catalan Minister of Education, Josep González-Cambray.

According to the minister himself, the decision will affect four educational cycles: the second cycle of infant education, ESO, baccalaureate and vocational training. In total, 11 schools in Catalonia as a whole, with 139 ESO cycle groups and 3,850 pupils. Of these 11 schools, two of them also segregate the baccalaureate cycle and will not be renewed, which will affect four groups and 251 students. Cambray has transferred this Tuesday to the meeting of the executive council the report on which the decision is based and has assured that it will come into force next academic year, which is when these concerts had to be renewed. The Generalitat calculates that all this will mean a saving of 15 million euros.

In the past, whenever the Catalan Government had tried such a measure, it came up against the courts. Cambray is convinced that this time they have a "greater legal coverage" through the Lomloe, the last state education law passed in 2020. Why does he consider that this law changes things? Well, because in its twenty-fifth additional provision it states that, in order to promote effective equality between men and women, "the centres supported partially or totally with public funds will develop the principle of coeducation in all educational stages". For the Generalitat, this should be enough so that, this time, justice does not overturn it. Moreover, the Government also claims that the Parliament has urged it on numerous occasions to end this type of subsidies, the last time with the vote of all parties except Vox, Cs and PP.

Boost digitisation

This Tuesday's executive council has been a meeting of the Executive Council, which has focused on issues related to education. Cambray also announced the hiring of 284 "digital mentors" who will be responsible for implementing the Catalan Digital Education Plan 2020-23. In short, they will be dedicated to "training teachers" at each school in digital skills. In two years it is expected to have an impact on 92,200 teachers.