Religion is sinking in public schools, but teachers are resisting: "The square is theirs."

PalmThe subject of Religion in the Balearic Islands This reinforces a downward trend among public school students.While enrollment in state-subsidized private schools has increased, the total number of students enrolled in state-subsidized private schools has fallen from 63,148 in the 2022-2023 academic year to 59,561 in 2025-2026, a reduction of approximately 3,600 students (-5.68%). This decline is particularly significant in the state school system, which has dropped from 24,518 students to 19,552 in recent years, a decrease of 4,966 students, or 20%. This decline has notably affected the presence of Religion as a subject in state schools, where there are fewer and fewer interested students. Conversely, state-subsidized private schools are experiencing the opposite trend: enrollment has increased from 38,630 to 40,009 students, a rise of 1,379 students, or 3.5%.

What can explain these variations?

With the approval of the LOMLOE (Organic Law for the Modification of the Organic Law on Education), the Religion subject no longer counts towards either the Baccalaureate average grade or university entrance exams. Until then, many students chose this subject believing it would be an easy way to obtain a good grade, an incentive that no longer exists and which has altered demand in public schools. At the same time, the increase in enrollment in state-subsidized private schools can be attributed to the fact that most of these schools are Catholic and integrate religion into their educational programs. This combination of factors demonstrates not only a change in families' educational preferences but also how legislative reforms can directly influence the distribution of students between public and state-subsidized private schools, with visible effects on student-teacher ratios and curriculum planning. Despite the decline in enrollment in public schools, which has been partially offset by the increase in state-subsidized private schools, the number of Religion teachers has remained practically stable. Between the 2022-2023 and 2025-2026 academic years, the number of teachers decreased from 137.5 to 134.5, a reduction of only 2.1%, far less than the decrease in student enrollment. This imbalance means that the student-teacher ratio is currently more favorable than in previous years, with potentially smaller class sizes and, in some areas, even an excess of teachers. According to the Regional Ministry of Education, Religion teacher positions cannot be eliminated: "The position belongs to them." Therefore, staff adjustments are being carried out gradually, following the pace of retirements and avoiding abrupt cuts.

In the case of private schools receiving public funding, the schools themselves choose their Religion teachers, although they are paid by the Regional Ministry of Education. As for public schools, according to the Alternativa union, "the Diocese chooses them, and the Regional Ministry of Education hires and pays them," a system that has been in place for many years. "If there are too many Religion teachers, they can be removed, and support teachers, who are more needed, can be hired instead," Alternativa states. Meanwhile, due to declining student enrollment and to fill the school day, many teachers must divide their hours among several schools. They are not civil servants, but they retain many of the same rights. Furthermore, there is a clear limitation: these teachers cannot teach other subjects, as their specialization is restricted exclusively to Religion.