More than 1,000 schools will not do colonies the next school year: "There is a responsibility that is not valued"

Barcelona"Colonies mean giving up a lot of hours." This is how Nacho Rico Martín, a teacher at Escola Mercè Rodoreda in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, expresses what it means for teachers to go on trips or overnight stays during the school year. This Wednesday he is going on a colony trip and explains that the teaching team will take medications that some students need to take and will also have to care for students with special educational needs. "What I mean by this is that we will do whatever it takes, because we believe in colonies, but now we see a window of opportunity to put pressure on the department with other sectors, such as bus or leisure companies," says Rico Martín, as a teacher at one of the schools that has decided not to organize trips from the next school year.

In fact, the school where he works is one of the 1,135 Catalan educational centers that have joined the manifesto "Let's Stop Educational Trips". The proposal was born in February from a group of teachers from Maresme and Selva with the aim of pressuring the Government to guarantee quality public education, and it has been spreading to centers throughout Catalonia. "If we adhere to this, it's not for fun. It's because we can't take it anymore anymore," continues the teacher from Santa Coloma, who emphasizes that "in no case is this irreversible," but rather it will last until the Government implements improvements to the public education system.

In this way, the initiative joins the strike calls for May and June to demand more human and material resources in classrooms, a salary increase, and a reduction in student-teacher ratios. "Inclusive education, for example, is terrible," points out Manuela, a tutor for Intensive Support for Inclusive Schooling (SIEI) at Escola Ausiàs March, in the same municipality. The center has also joined the decision not to organize trips next school year at a time when, as the teacher emphasizes, "they have assumed a series of responsibilities that do not belong to them." "We have been doing it out of vocation, but at night there is an added responsibility that is not valued," explains the teacher.

For a center to join the proposal, the promoting group specifies that at least one third of the signatures of the total faculty must be gathered to discuss it and, subsequently, vote on the measure. "In our case, it was unanimous and, in fact, in Santa Coloma there is only one of all the primary education centers that has not joined it," points out Manuela.

A matter that Rico Martín also raises, who explains that, although the center's staff assembly approved taking it to the faculty meeting, the vote has not been allowed. Nevertheless, and given other cases like this, the promoting group warns that, according to article 146.2 of the Catalan Education Law (LEC), votes must be allowed, as otherwise the right of democratic participation of teachers in the planning of pedagogical activities of the centers is violated.

Impact on students

Both Nacho and Manuela are aware of the concern of some families regarding the decision not to go on outings, but they reiterate that it is in no way against the students. "Although, at first, some are put off by the proposal, they end up understanding it afterwards," explains the teacher, while the master adds that "what families want is for there to be hands and for their children to be well".

In this regard, the Federated Associations of Parents of Students of Catalonia (aFFaC) explain that stopping going on camps impacts students, but they understand the situation of the teaching staff. "It is very bad news that children cannot go on camps or excursions," remarks the president of aFFac, Jordi de Carreras, "but it must be understood that teachers are mobilizing to demand decent working conditions." For this reason, they directly appeal to the Government to resolve the situation as soon as possible. "It is time to prioritize public education," emphasizes De Carreras.

In parallel, the Escola-Entorn Association and other entities have requested through a manifesto to "protect" school outings as a tool for learning, equity, and rootedness. Like aFFaC, they consider the claims of the teaching staff "totally legitimate", but they add that if the opportunity to learn outside the classroom is lost, a right that is essential for students will be "borrowed".

In the statement, they insist that school outings do not serve as a parenthesis in the school curriculum, but are essential for integral education. "When a school goes out, social differences are diluted," they assure in the manifesto. For this reason, they call on both Education and the unions to reach an agreement to resolve the conflict, and that the demands of the teaching staff be met.