Education will have a budget for this year of 7,508 million, 10.2% more than the previous one, if the Generalitat's budgets go ahead. Councilor Anna Simó, who presented them this afternoon in the Parliament's Education Commission, explained that this increase will allow the staff to increase by 2,280 teachers, of which 389 will be allocated to the inclusive school, which will have a significant budget of 626 millions.
The highest budget item is that corresponding to teaching staff expenses, with 4,704 million. This represents an increase of 348 million (8% more) with a workforce that is close to 100,000 professionals (99,392), including teachers, educational care personnel and administration. In this section, the 67.5 million reversal of the cuts, agreed with the unions, are contemplated.
It also improves investment in the stage from 0 to 3 years (with 183 million) and the fight against school segregation (62 million).
Simó has pointed out that a significant amount has been reserved for the Catalan. The accounts include 85.4 million to promote Catalan, mostly for the reception classrooms that receive foreign students. Also for the Catalan acceleration program for young people aged 14, 15 and 16 who arrive in Catalonia without knowing the language and follow an intensive 3-month course before joining their institute.
Other activities to improve the language amount to 9.6 million in language and social cohesion provisions. The plan to promote Catalan (1.7 million), the reading plan (0.4 million), and the audiovisual content platform promoted together with TV3 for students and teachers will involve an investment equivalent to half a million euros.
Simó has highlighted the investments that will be allocated this year to Vocational Training (FP), which will have almost 50 million more than in 2023, with an increase of 9,900 teachers and the equalization of salaries for teachers, a union demand.
Regarding infrastructure, 137 million are reserved for the construction and renovation of educational centers, including 25 million for the adaptation of schools to climate change.
Curiously, the budget includes a specific item for the measures that the committee of experts appointed by the Government is still debating. Before his conclusions are delivered to him, Simó has allocated 50 million euros. Finally, the creation of the Agency for Evaluation and Prospective of the Educational System, which must replace the Consell Superior d'Avaluació, will cost 3.45 million.
