The Ministry of Education proposes that teachers be able to concentrate teaching hours into four days.

PalmThe Balearic Ministry of Education is proposing that teachers be allowed to concentrate their in-person teaching hours into a minimum of four days, if each school decides to do so based on its specific circumstances. The measure already applies to conservatory teachers, but the first draft of the teaching staff decree, which ARA Baleares has obtained, extends its scope to all educational centers. The document establishes that each teacher may teach a maximum of six hours of class per day. Although the total number of in-person hours would not change, these would be concentrated into four days. Schools, however, will have to maintain academic activity throughout the week, which will require reorganizing schedules to ensure student support and, according to union sources, could imply an increase in staff to cover all shifts. This challenge comes at a time when the Ministry of Education is already struggling to fill all positions, especially in Secondary and Vocational Education.

It should be noted that, beyond teaching hours, teachers also dedicate time to preparing lessons and other pedagogical tasks, many of which they carry out from home. The draft also stipulates that, exceptionally and once the school year has begun, teachers may extend their teaching hours by up to five additional hours, provided it is not possible to use substitute teachers, experts from the productive sector, or specialist teachers. Current schedules

In June 2025, the reduction of teachers' working hours from 37.5 to 35 hours per week was agreed upon as part of the Framework Agreement signed in 2023 between the unions and the left-wing coalition. Starting this academic year:

• Early Childhood and Primary Education teachers work 29 hours per week at the school, 25 of which are teaching hours (direct instruction, coordination, and assigned duties) and 4 hours are supplementary. The remaining 6 hours are dedicated to preparing activities, professional development, or other pedagogical tasks that do not need to be carried out at the school. Previously, these teachers spent 30 hours at the school and 7.5 hours outside of it.
• Secondary school teachers also have a 29-hour work schedule at the school, with 25 hours dedicated to classes, supervision duties, tutoring, and parent-teacher meetings. The remaining 4 hours at the school are allocated to meetings and scheduled activities, while the remaining 6 hours can be spent off-site for teaching activities and professional development. The previous schedule consisted of 30 hours at the school and 7.5 hours off-site.

Union reaction

The general secretary of SIAU, Joan Crespí, welcomes the proposal for concentrated teaching hours, which responds to a "long-standing" demand of the union: "When this right was eliminated last year in schools that already enjoyed it, the affected teachers were clearly disadvantaged. This measure responds to one of our public demands and contributes to improving working conditions and the organization of teaching." According to SIAU, concentrating teaching hours into four days allows for progress towards more modern and efficient work models, aligned with practices in other countries with advanced education systems. This facilitates work-life balance, reduces unnecessary travel, and allows for better management of professional time. It also strengthens the autonomy of schools and teachers, with potential benefits for the well-being of teachers and students, as well as for the quality of education.

STEI argues that, provided proper school organization is guaranteed, concentrating the school day into four days is not a bad idea. "But will it be possible for everyone, especially in Early Childhood Education? The issue is that the school needs to be open five days, but teachers should only be there four. Is it possible? Yes, in Primary Education too, but it requires significant organization. If it's manageable, we agree. It's a complicated measure," explains Vicenç Garcia, a member of the teachers' union. "As long as educational equality is guaranteed and everyone has the same opportunities, we see it as a good thing. More teachers will be needed, and staffing levels will need to be increased. The decree is good, but it limits collective bargaining because it dictates how everything should be. It's the first decree of its kind: it provides job security for staff, yes. We need a decree, yes, but not this one."

UOB holds a similar position. Albert Bonnin, the union coordinator, describes the proposal to concentrate teachers' teaching hours into four days as a "move forward," adding that it "would facilitate the rationalization of schedules and, in some cases, work-life balance." However, he warns that its implementation could be complicated in certain schools, especially smaller preschool and primary schools. Therefore, the union is demanding some form of compensation for teachers who cannot concentrate all their teaching hours into four days.

Lack of information

For its part, UGT admits that it still needs more information to assess the scope of the measure. Azahar Tortonda, UGT's Secretary for Public Education, demands clarity and negotiation: "This proposal was sent to us, but we request that it be discussed at a specific Sectoral Education Committee meeting regarding the second phase of reducing teachers' working hours to 35. This was a commitment made by Minister Antoni Vera when the first reduction was approved. Now, this phase has arrived and is especially important because it affects teachers' working hours, a key point of the 2023 Framework Agreement for improvements."