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Voices from Affected Community Members on Barcelona Education Updates
Families and students across Barcelona consider the effects of new rules on devices, class sizes and school structures ahead of the 2025-2026 year.
How we reported this
The 2025-2026 school year begins on September 8 with 1,326,352 students from kindergarten to vocational training. This marks a decrease of 8,493 students from the previous year, driven by falling birth rates, and brings immediate changes that touch daily life for families throughout the city.
Cell Phone and Smartwatch Restrictions
Barcelona is implementing a total ban on cell phones and smartwatches for all students up to age 16 in primary and secondary schools for the 2025-2026 school year, the first year of this regulation. Community members note that parents will need to plan communications differently, often relying on school offices or after-hours arrangements instead of direct messages during the day.
New All-Through Schools and Enrolment Shifts
During the 2025-2026 academic year Barcelona will operate 26 all-through schools, including four new centres named La Flor de Maig, Els 30 Passos, Enric Granados and Tomàs Moro. Families living near these sites describe adjusting transport routines and after-school care as enrolment patterns shift with the expanded network.
School segregation has fallen from 0.49 to 0.39 in pre-school and primary education and from 0.44 to 0.34 in secondary education between the 2020-2021 and 2023-2024 years. Residents observe that these measured improvements may support more mixed classrooms in coming terms.
Planned Reductions in Class Ratios
The 2026-2027 academic year will advance class ratio reductions, with 73 percent of public centres for the second cycle of infant and primary education aiming for a ratio of 20 students per class. Community members already discuss how smaller groups could alter homework support and parent-teacher meetings once the targets take effect.
These policies arrive together, prompting households to review daily schedules, device habits and school choices before September. Information on enrolment and specific centre details remains available through the city education offices for any family seeking further practical steps.