Xavi Ros: "Since I became principal, I've seen hundreds of teachers pass through the institute."

BarcelonaXavi Ros has been the director of the Institut Matadepera for over a decade and is a member of the Clam Educatiu collective. Last year, teacher turnover meant that almost half of the teaching staff changed.

How many years have you been the director?

— Twelve years ago. Well, now I'm starting the thirteenth. Before that, I was part of the management team for years.

Could you say how many teachers have been part of your faculty since you became director?

— I don't know... Counting substitutes, I'd say many hundreds, or even a thousand. I can't guarantee a thousand, but I've seen hundreds of teachers pass through the institute.

Beyond the substitutions during the school year, do you recall a time when the teaching staff suffered a significant setback from one year to the next?

— There are always changes, and there will be quite a few this year, but perhaps the biggest one came in the 2023-24 academic year, when more than 40% of our faculty changed.

And this course?

— I estimate that of the 60-something of us, about 15 are changing. That's a lot, but it's less than last year, and we also have to take into account that there are two pregnancy leaves here, of colleagues who are already in an advanced stage.

Are there always such drastic changes from one course to the next?

— These past few years, for sure. The stabilization processes for civil servants have changed the rules of the game because, with many more civil servants in the system, there's a big push. Also, there's also a lot of movement among people from other autonomous communities, like some Valencian colleagues, some who come from private schools, or teachers who were doing other jobs and have now passed the exams and come here.

How does such a major change within the faculty impact the institute?

— First, suddenly, you have a large portion of people who don't know how the school works. Second, they don't know the students or the families, and that, especially for students who are having a difficult time, is complicated. They need a reference teacher with whom they've established a bond. And then there are the things that may be different from the standard and that can't be explained in a single day, but rather must go through a training and support process. What ends up happening? In the first quarter, everyone is very busy, and you can't adequately attend to the 650 students you have.

And how do they manage it?

— We're a center that provides a lot of support and has an internal structure that's very teamwork-based. Therefore, it's easier to build relationships with other colleagues and help them find their bearings. Once the team is working, starting around Christmas, we begin to find peace. But working as a team has a disadvantage: things have to be done, and once you've done them, you have to do them again.

I was talking about training. Does it make sense to put effort into training someone who's leaving?

— It's true that it's frustrating, but it's also true that we have ongoing, experiential training where you learn very quickly. Yes, you make efforts and reflect that help you grow professionally and then don't just end at school, but I can't think of a better way to do it.

Do you think the situation will improve?

— This is the hope, but I have doubts. It's like a human tower group's castle: the more it stumbles, the more likely it is to fall. Now there's a political decision to stabilize many teachers and do it quickly, even if it means assuming there will be four bad years. But we don't know if we'll be able to withstand four years of stumbles. I wonder: "Couldn't it be done in ten years without such a serious impact on the schools?"

After twelve years as a director, have you ever considered leaving?

— Yes, every day.

And why doesn't he do it?

— Out of commitment to the people here. It's true that I'd be happier and more restful teaching, which I also love. But whenever it seems like someone might be taking over as a director, it never works out.