A massive rejection movement has begun to take shape in the Lleida demarcation. 71 public schools and institutes have signed a manifesto not to schedule excursions or school camps for the next academic year. These centers represent 36% of the 195 local public centers and 32% of the total 223 public centers in Lleida. Throughout Catalonia, 783 out of 2,249 public schools and institutes have joined the refusal to schedule excursions and school camps. These adhesions represent 35% of the total Catalan public centers.
Internal Management and Decision-Making
The decision to carry out or not carry out school trips is linked to the management projects of each center. A spokesperson for the directors of Lleida details that all the faculty meetings are held between May and June to elaborate the annual general programming. The annual general programming is subsequently ratified in the school council in a vote with representatives from the city council, teaching staff, students, and families.
"all the cloistered meetings take place between May and June to elaborate the annual general programming (PGA) for the following academic year, where excursions, camps, and all planned projects are specified" - Spokesperson for the directors of Lleida
The spokesperson indicates that several centers have already reached an agreement with families not to go on excursions. If there is no agreement, a tie can occur. No one can force us to spend the day outside, during non-teaching hours.
Insecurity and academic consequences
Several directors express that they do not feel protected by Education. We need more social educators, psychologists, nurses, and teachers to attend to diversity. They also ask to recover purchasing power after 20 years.
"We need more social educators, psychologists, nurses, and teachers to address diversity, as well as to recover purchasing power after 20 years" - Spokesperson for the directors of Lleida
Various companies affected by the cancellation of departures, such as summer camps, theaters, or bus operators, have communicated that they do not agree. The directors assure that they are not against anyone but we are within our rights.
In addition to suppressing school trips and camps, several schools in Lleida city are considering not accepting university students for internships next academic year. This decision could compromise the viability of Education studies at the Universitat de Lleida.
"Teachers have to guide students, monitor their interventions in the classroom, meet with the university, and attend three specific training sessions to know how to guide them, extra work that should not be done altruistically and outside of working hours" - Spokesperson for the school principals
The situation keeps relations between educational administrations and educational centers tense while awaiting an institutional response on the necessary guarantees to ensure safety in the school environment.