Disciplinary proceedings against teachers: "They're just the tip of the iceberg."

PalmIn every school, there are "rotten beans" teachers, according to a person close to the Department of Educational Inspection of the Regional Ministry of Education (DIE). This term refers to those professionals who do not perform their duties diligently, deteriorate the teaching environment, disrespect their duties as civil servants, and consequently harm students and the image of the education system. All this at a time when the work of teachers is the subject of constant political debate.

The Regional Ministry's figures show a concrete reality. During the 2023-2024 academic year, six proposals for disciplinary proceedings were submitted: four ended with suspension of salary and duties; one with a reprimand, and another was closed. The following year, the proposals doubled to fourteen: six with suspension; three with reprimands; two were closed; and three under "other circumstances," according to Education sources. These figures are exclusively from public schools, since the Regional Ministry does not have disciplinary authority over private schools, which operate according to their own internal regulations. What is considered an offense for one school is not necessarily an offense for another.

The coordinator of the Professional Association of Teachers of the Balearic Islands, Antoni Salvà, maintains that these figures are "the tip of the iceberg." He explains that disciplinary proceedings are the last resort, since many previous situations are often resolved between the management team and the inspector. "There are teachers who are detrimental to the system. Many people enter teaching, and academic skills are required, but that does not always guarantee personal and professional competencies," says Salvà.

The action "must be processed in a manner that guarantees the rights of the child" and not "with a raised sword," say sources close to the Education Inspectorate. The Administration reminds that the disciplinary procedure for teachers is regulated by the Civil Service Law, the Basic Statute for Public Employees, and a decree establishing punishable conduct. When improper conduct is detected, the school principal reports it to the Inspectorate, although families and other teachers may also do so.

Inspections usually begin with informal requests to redirect the situation. If the case is serious or goes unresolved, the inspector may propose opening a disciplinary case, which will involve an evaluation by the legal services of the Teaching Staff. A different investigator conducts the investigation, and once completed, the resolution is re-validated.

From warning to expulsion

Part of the complaints received are from teachers who manifest possible mental disorders, while the rest refer to professionals who do not prepare lessons, display discriminatory behavior, or act arrogantly. The disciplinary regime is progressive: expulsion from the public service is the most serious penalty and requires approval from the Governing Council; suspension varies according to the severity, with the reprimand being recorded without immediate consequences. According to teaching sources, the group has a certain corporatist tendency, trying to prevent internal conflicts from spreading beyond the school. "However, there are also many ethical people who deeply value the profession and denounce practices that are not appropriate," says Salvà. "Disruptive teachers represent a very small but annoying percentage," he adds.

When there is a problematic situation, "the unions tend to adopt very corporatist positions," reports the source close to the Inspection. A retired former school principal confirms this: "If there is a conflict, the unions often accuse us of making bullying the teacher in question. When you explain the case to them, they often pretend they know nothing. I remember one delegate, who did know the teacher's record, telling me: 'Yes, we know, but he's a member of the union and we must defend him.' And I replied: 'That's why you have a bad reputation and people don't trust you anymore.'"

Both SIAU and the STEI maintain that their intervention guarantees that the disciplinary procedure is fair, that the steps are followed, and that the sanctions are proportionate or not by the juvenile court and the defense in a criminal trial. arbitrary. We must guarantee the presumption of innocence," summarizes the Secretary of Public Education of the STEI, Lluís Segura. He also asserts that he has never justified any indefensible misconduct: "Cases of teachers with clearly inappropriate behavior are very rare and hardly ever reach the union. We act on cases where it's unclear what happened. If a teacher arrives late, doesn't go to work, or engages in obvious misconduct, a case is opened quickly."

The Administration has eighteen months to resolve a case. SIAU's general secretary, Joan Crespí, complains that cases are sometimes allowed to expire "to protect people known or linked to management teams, from whom we also receive complaints." "Not everyone is the same," he asserts. The source close to the Inspection maintains that if the instructor exceeds the deadlines or makes procedural errors, the union or the defense can challenge the decision, and the process must be repeated. This can cause some cases to expire, not intentionally, but for technical reasons. Minor infractions expire after six months, and serious infractions after a year and a half. "If they expire, we have to start over."

Directors without power

The role of the principal is key. "They are the only teachers the Regional Ministry evaluates periodically, and they are the ones most closely monitored," says the source close to the Inspectorate. The retired principal criticizes certain procedures of the Regional Ministry. There are cases in which a principal files a complaint because they no longer have any room for manoeuvre—for example, when a teacher is absent for too many days—and Educació often responds: "You should tell them." The request is made, and if it doesn't work, responsibility returns to Educació. "Sometimes, when a principal reports a disciplinary problem, the response they receive is: 'Yes, we were expecting you to call to talk about that person,'" he adds.

Teachers with a bad reputation are not many, but they are known as RoadrunnerThey move from one school to another, accumulating records, and since they haven't done anything serious, they can't be sanctioned. Perhaps they don't directly affect the students, but they do indirectly, because they harm the educational process and the atmosphere in the classroom. "The Regional Ministry is only interested if a teacher assaults or insults," laments the former principal. Most of the complaints come from management teams. "When we talk about problematic individuals, we're not referring to cases like Miquel Roldán's, but to teachers who accumulate absences or inappropriate behavior. I once had a teacher who constantly said she was getting calls from her daughter's school, and then she left. She didn't remember that I knew the school principal, who confirmed it to me."

The president of the Education Department of the Union of Cooperatives (UCTAIB), Kiko López, assures that the education inspectorate intervenes when necessary, but that most schools act with rigor and commitment. "The governing body regulates internal operations, and the inspectorate ensures that everything is done correctly," he states. According to López, the inspector monitors schools and recommends actions within their jurisdiction, although they cannot decide every step. He acknowledges that there are still poorly regulated areas and that some state-subsidized schools interpret the regulations with their own criteria, such as avoiding Gest-IB or handling issues differently. However, he emphasizes that the state-subsidized system is strict and that any irregularity carries severe sanctions, and points out that losing the state-subsidized system would be a significant economic and social blow.

Although cases of problematic teachers are rare, they also affect the image of the teaching community and public confidence in the education system. Most situations are addressed through the management team and the inspectorate before leading to disciplinary proceedings, which follow strict and safeguarding procedures. Thus, the education system combines the professionalism and commitment of the vast majority of teachers with oversight and accountability measures to ensure the quality of teaching and the protection of students.