“Dear families, we inform you that the management team has taken leave. They are guiding us from the educational inspection…”. The students of the public school Andreu Castells in Sabadell (Barcelona) left class on Tuesday with this short three-line note informing of the en bloc resignation of the center’s management. The parents and the school have been in conflict for more than three years because of the “low educational level” and the contemptuous treatment of the management. The educational inspectorate has assumed control of the center until a solution is found.
The conflict between the families and the management of the publicly owned school dates back to 2019, with multiple complaints to the management about the low level of education they consider the students have. But also because of the ways and treatment of families, a mother member of the center’s children’s families association (AFI) explained to this medium. The bad atmosphere came especially after the arrival of the head of studies three years ago. And in recent weeks, a group of former teachers have added to the complaint who have signed a statement in which they regret the lack of a pedagogical project at the center. Territorial Services assures that it was not until this year that they became aware of the problem and that they are working against the clock to get a replacement interim director.
“The head of studies arrived and dismissed everything”, explains a representative of the AFI. He says that three years ago they already decided to collect signatures to change the management team, but the management asked for “an opportunity”. They gave it to him and consider that they have not taken advantage of it, so they are demanding his resignation. On Friday, a meeting took place with Education in view of the unsustainable situation and on Tuesday the students left class with the note informing them of the dismissal.
80% of the families support the revolt, they assure that it is not a problem of lack of resources and point out that they are not against the teachers of the center. They report a drop in the level of education and that when their children make the jump to secondary school they are the least prepared students in high school; “they don’t even know how to write”, laments the mother member of the AFI, who considers that the school’s educational project does not require a minimum effort from the children.
In addition, they claim that they have endured contemptuous treatment and “ugly responses” from the management on a constant basis, such as “during school hours, they rule over our children”. Neither is Christmas or the Chestnut Festival celebrated in the centre, with the argument that they are religious celebrations or that “the weather is not good” for eating chestnuts in the courtyard.
The families regret that forgiveness is not enough for the loss of confidence they have in the project and want a change of direction. “We don’t deserve the leave, we want his resignation”, they demand. They want to return to a school “like before” and in accordance with the characteristics of the neighborhood. And they warn that they are keeping all the actions going, including a rally on Friday afternoon at the door of the school.
