The national spokesperson for the Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG), Ana Pontónpresented the Carballo gave the Plan Máis Ensino Público in Carballo on 7 September 2026. The initiative aims to reduce the immediate costs of the start of the school year and, according to Pontón, counter the deterioration of the public education system in Galicia . The school year starts in the autonomous community on 9 September 2026.
Pontón’s proposal includes restoring free school textbooks, increasing grants for school materials and providing additional assistance to low-income households. She justified this by pointing to rising living costs and the need to strengthen public services. To illustrate her point, she referred to CEIP Bergantiños in Carballo and criticised gaps in resources for inclusive education. The allegation of “deterioro” remains a political assessment by the BNG.
The announcement coincides with the start of the school year. According to the regional administration, around 298,436 pupils are returning to classrooms in Galicia in September, almost 5,000 fewer than last year. The relevant education department is expected to provide information in parliament this week; the name given for the conselleiro de Educación is Román Rodríguez. The Xunta has already announced its own programmes for the start of the school year.
The funding for Pontón’s plan remains unclear. No detailed cost estimate or information has been provided on the budget years affected or how it would fit with ongoing Xunta measures. It is therefore a political proposal, whose implementation will depend on budgetary priorities. Further details could be sought in the forthcoming parliamentary debates.
The initiative forms part of a broader debate about staffing, infrastructure and support services in the public school system. Other parties and trade unions are also calling for more teachers, investment in buildings and smaller class sizes. On the same day, the PSdeG presented its own package and called for additional funding and new posts to ease the start of the school year. The political contest underlines that education will shape the opening of the working year in the Galician parliament.
The immediate context is factually established: the plan’s presentation in Carballo, the approaching start of the school year and the officially expected pupil numbers. Assessments and forecasts come from the respective political camps; implementation depends on majorities and budget negotiations.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).