Spain proposes halving early childhood class sizes, lowering ratios across all pre-university levels
The Education Ministry proposes reducing maximum students per class in early childhood education to as few as 4 babies per educator, with lower ratios also for older children and Bachillerato, following months of teacher strikes.
The proposal
The Spanish Ministry of Education has proposed a sharp reduction in maximum class sizes for early childhood education, the second cycle of infant education, and Bachillerato. For the 0-3 age group, the new ratios would be 4 children per educator for under-1s (down from 8), 6 for 1-2 year-olds (from 13), and 8 for 2-3 year-olds (from 20). In the second cycle (3-6 years), the limit would drop from 25 to 20 pupils per class, and in Bachillerato from 35 to 30. The changes would be enacted via a royal decree modifying the 2010 regulation on minimum centre requirements, meaning no parliamentary vote is needed.
- 0 years
- 4
- 1 year
- 6
- 2 years
- 8
- 3-6 years
- 20
- Bachillerato
- 30
Union and private sector react
The CCOO teaching union welcomed the proposal, calling it a success of mobilisation.
However, the union criticised the gradual rollout, urging faster implementation.We have got the Ministry to adopt our proposal of 4/6/8 pupils per educator in 0-3 infant education, which is a great success of the mobilisation.
The private education association ACADE warned that the ratio cuts could have devastating effects.
ACADE argued that families could not absorb the cost increase without public funding, risking the disappearance of the private nursery network.More than 60,000 jobs would be lost; a highly feminised sector with a large presence of young professionals would be severely affected.
Implementation timeline
The new ratios would apply from the 2027/2028 school year for the first level of the 0-3 cycle, with progressive extension to the second and third levels, reaching full application by the start of the 2029/2030 academic year. The ministry also proposes lowering ratios in primary and secondary education through a separate bill, which last week survived total amendments from Junts and the PNV.
Facility standards
The draft decree sets minimum physical requirements for 0-3 centres: at least 2 square metres per child in classrooms, separate rest and hygiene areas for under-2s, a 30-square-metre multipurpose room usable as a dining hall, an exclusive playground of at least 75 square metres, and dedicated food preparation space when infants under one are present. Toilets for 2-3 year-olds must be visible and accessible from the classroom, with two sinks and two toilets.
Context of strikes
The proposal follows months of strikes by early childhood educators, including an indefinite strike in Madrid since April and two national stoppages. Teachers have protested overcrowded classrooms and demanded a two-educator model and lower ratios. The ministry, led by Milagros Tolón, had previously expressed sympathy with the protests but had not acted on ratios since the Lomloe law was passed in 2020.
