Barcelona Education Decisions Ahead: Class Size Targets and Network Changes for 2026-2027

The 2026-2027 academic year will bring smaller class sizes in Barcelona public schools, with 73 percent of centres targeting a maximum of 20 students per class and 27 percent aiming for 21 students. This shift arrives alongside the integration of the Centro de Educación Especial Lexia in Gràcia into the public network.

Class Size Reductions Set for Next Year

Education authorities have outlined the new ratios for the coming academic year. The changes apply across public centres and represent a concrete adjustment to daily classroom operations. Families enrolling children for 2026-2027 will encounter these limits when schools finalise group assignments.

Special Education Centre Joins Public Network

The Centro de Educación Especial Lexia, located in Gràcia, will move into the public system during the 2026-2027 school year. This step adds one established special education facility to the existing public offering without requiring families to navigate separate enrolment processes.

International schools have reached 31 institutions serving 13,361 students, a near doubling over the past decade linked to expatriate arrivals. At the same time, school segregation in pre-school and primary education fell from 0.49 to 0.39 between the 2020-2021 and 2023-2024 periods.

Teacher Protests Shape Funding Priorities

Thousands of teachers have conducted strikes and protests calling for increased government investment, reversal of prior budget reductions, and a standard 35-hour work week. These actions continue to press for sustained resources that would support the class-size targets already announced.

Key decisions remain on how the new ratios will be staffed and whether further measures will address the demands raised in recent protests. Enrolment offices and school governing bodies will finalise details in the months leading into the 2026-2027 year.