One of the best of the Selectivitat, on the new elite Baccalaureate: "I'm not clear if it would have helped me with my grades"

Palma“As a student who has gone through High School and University Entrance Exams and knows the pressure there is to get a good grade, I find that this Excellence High School is a good idea, especially regarding learning and expanding knowledge. Having the option to deepen subjects, do laboratory practicals or have the ease of doing a double modality is an opportunity that enriches you greatly and can open more doors for you in terms of your university future, something I would have liked to have at the time”, explains Fèlix Coll, a former student of IES Biel Martí in Ferreries and with one of the best grades in the 2025 University Entrance Exams (9.35 unweighted).

However, I also see a “yes, but”. “High school, and especially the second year, is a super intense stage in itself. If you want to get high grades to get into the career you want, the pressure is already enormous. For this reason, I am not very clear if adding more expansion and more intensity would have helped me much in terms of grades, or if it could even stress students even more. In summary: in terms of knowledge and training, it seems like a fantastic idea, but we will have to see how all this extra demand coexists with the need to get a very high cut-off grade for university,” he adds.

Risk of segregation

The proposal by the Department of Education and Universities to create an Excellence Baccalaureate pathway for the 2026-2027 academic year has opened a debate between those who see it as a commitment to talent and those who warn of a possible risk of segregation. In this latter group, critical voices from the educational world are clear. Several pedagogues and teachers warn that the model could consolidate a "segregating two-speed education," separating students according to performance rather than educational needs, which they consider contrary to the principle of inclusion. They also warn that the departure of students with better results from ordinary schools could impoverish classrooms, as positive role models are lost and the learning dynamics of groups are modified.

Furthermore, some experts question whether grouping only high-achieving students truly improves results, and suggest it could increase pressure and competitiveness in an already very demanding stage. Finally, the equity of the access system is also called into question, as the tests and requirements could favor students with more resources or prior preparation, widening inequalities rather than reducing them.