Teacher class hours and ratios to be lowered by Sánchez as a means to counteract the ongoing strike
In a recent announcement, the Spanish government has revealed plans to implement changes in the country's education system. The measures aim to reduce teaching hours for teachers, improve student-teacher ratios, and alleviate bureaucratic burdens on educators.
The proposed teaching hours will be reduced to 23 hours per week in Primary schools, 18 hours in Secondary schools, and Baccalaureate. Notably, the number of teaching hours students receive will remain unchanged.
Beatriz L. Echazarreta, the subject of this article, is among those who will be affected by these changes. Currently, teachers work a standard 37.5 hours per week, with specific hours dedicated to teaching and the rest to non-teaching activities.
The reduction in teaching hours may require hiring more teachers or dispensing with some classes or reinforcement activities. The government also aims to lower student-teacher ratios, with the maximum number of students per teacher limited by law to 25 in Infant and Primary, 30 in Secondary, and 35 in Baccalaureate.
Union organizations had threatened to go on strike if the government did not fulfill one of its first electoral promises regarding education. However, the Spanish president, Sánchez, has boasted about the educational measures approved in the last 7 years, including the LOSU (University System Law) and the commitment to FP (Vocational Training).
In addition to these educational measures, the Spanish government plans to launch a program of approximately 175 million euros to enable families below the poverty threshold to access education from 0 to 3 years for free, starting next school year.
It is important to note that the update of the contents of the former Teacher Training degree, which has been pending since 2007, does not appear to be part of these immediate educational changes.
The legislative initiative to reduce teaching hours and improve teacher-student ratios was presented by the SPD parliamentary group in Bavaria. However, the exact individual who introduced this specific initiative is not named in the provided search results.
The program is being announced by the Minister of Education, Pilar Alegría, alongside the Spanish president, Sánchez. The government's educational measures are part of a broader effort to modernise and improve the quality of education in Spain.
