The number of students in special education centers in Catalonia has risen over the past decade, a trend that continues to grow despite a government decree aimed at reducing segregation, ARA reported.
Decree’s Goal Contradicts Rising Enrollment
In 2017, Catalonia's government passed a decree on inclusive education with the stated objective of decreasing the number of students with disabilities or special educational needs who leave mainstream schools to attend specialized centers. However, the opposite has occurred. The number of students has grown from 6,839 in 2017 to 9,030 in the most recent academic year.
The increase is particularly notable in post-compulsory education, while in compulsory education—from primary to secondary school (ESO)—the rise has been more modest, at 5%. In the 2022-23 school year, 6,140 students were enrolled in special education centers for compulsory education, up from the 2017 figure. This growth comes amid a backdrop of an overall decrease in student enrollment across the Catalan education system.
Families and Experts Cite Resource Gaps
The sustained increase in special center enrollment is driven by multiple factors, including a rise in diagnoses and a persistent lack of resources in mainstream schools, a issue long denounced by teachers and families, ARA reported. This shortage makes it difficult to properly support students with higher needs.
“Initially, families go through a very tough process to get their children into mainstream schools, but over time they end up seeing that they are not well cared for,” explained Elena Martínez, a pedagogue with the Autism Federation of Catalonia. “Because the decree is not accompanied by all the necessary measures to support the students, it is true that not all cases can be well attended, and many families prefer to go to a Special Education Center where they can have better support.”
Patrícia Morales, a primary school teacher and coordinator of the School Inclusion group for the USTEC teachers’ union, echoed this sentiment. “The mainstream school is currently overwhelmed, it is very tense, despite this inclusive decree,” she insisted. Martínez highlighted that many students with autism could function well in a mainstream school but are placed in specialized centers due to a lack of necessary supports like speech therapists, psychologists, or psychotherapists.
“In the mainstream school, even though it is called inclusive, these professionals are still not present,” Martínez lamented. The Association of Families of Public School Students (AFFAC) has also raised concerns in its latest report, stating that since the inclusive decree was passed, "enrollment in special education in compulsory stages has not decreased in a system that is losing students overall." The federation also pointed out that "not all families have the same time, knowledge, or resources" to complete the processes required to secure diagnoses and increased support in mainstream schools.
Government Response: New Places and Questions
This academic year, it has opened 175 new places in compulsory special education, investing 6.3 million euros in new places. However, this increase comes after several years where the number of places remained stagnant or even decreased, despite a growing number of students receiving recommendations for special education centers.
Department sources remind that the inclusive decree establishes that “enrollment in a Special Education Center is considered exceptional, when the student’s needs require a high intensity of educational support and highly individualized measures.” They state that the government is committed to “continuing to increase the number of places,” but emphasizes that “it is not about prioritizing one type of schooling, but rather guaranteeing an adequate, inclusive, and tailored educational response for each student.”
The AFFAC, however, questions this approach. "After approving a norm that placed special education as an exception and foresaw its transformation, the decision is to expand it," the federation stated.
Geographical Hurdles and Family Struggles
Beyond the number of places, Noemí Blazquez, a mother whose 7-year-old son has severe autism, ADHD, and epilepsy, warns of geographical barriers. Many families she helps find that there are no special centers near their homes. Some comarques (counties) have no public or private special centers at all.
“Sometimes they are offered the solution of staying in a mainstream school with a SIEI (Intensive Support for Inclusive Schooling) place, but it’s not the same,” Blazquez explained. Morales from USTEC also criticized this, saying, “There are families who have to go to a Special Education Center and cannot, due to their location.”
Ana Galera, a mother of three with two children on the autism spectrum, faces this exact problem. Her children attend a mainstream school in Valls with extra support (a SIEI Plus), but it is insufficient. "The teachers give their all, but they can't keep up," Galera said. She notes that the teachers have suggested her children would be better off in a special education center. The challenge is that there are no such centers in all of Alt Camp; the nearest is in Montblanc.
FAQ
What is the SIEI?
SIEI stands for Suport Intensiu per a l’Escolarització Inclusiva (Intensive Support for Inclusive Schooling). It is a program in mainstream schools that provides additional resources and professional hours to support students with special educational needs.
What is a SIEI Plus?
A SIEI Plus is an enhanced version of the SIEI program, offering even more intensive support and a greater number of specialized professionals to meet the higher needs of certain students within a mainstream school setting.
Why has enrollment in special education centers increased if the goal was inclusion?
Experts and families attribute the rise to a combination of factors, including an increase in diagnoses and a persistent lack of resources, such as specialized staff like speech therapists and psychologists, in mainstream schools. This makes it difficult for these schools to adequately support students with complex needs, leading families to seek specialized centers that can provide the necessary care.
What is the EAP?
The EAP refers to the Equip d’Assessorament i Orientació Psicopedagògic (Advisory and Psychopedagogical Orientation Teams), which are part of the Catalan government’s educational support services. They assess students’ needs and provide guidance on their educational placement.
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