Schools in Galicia will start the new school year on 9 September 2026 with 298,436 pupils enrolled. The Xunta de Galicia announced the figures on 25 August. This represents a fall of 4,617 pupils compared with the previous year. Despite the decline, the number of classes is to remain stable: the education department still expects around 12,000 classes.
According to the Xunta de Galicia, this stability was also made possible by the Agreement to Improve the Education System concluded in 2023. Under the agreement, around 800 classes were retained that would otherwise have been discontinued amid continued demographic decline, or are now being used for split classes (Desdobles). Education Minister Román Rodríguez presented these key figures and priorities for the 2026/27 school year on 25 August.
According to the Xunta, policy priorities include further reducing class sizes, expanding a hybrid teaching model and guidelines for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the classroom. As a performance indicator, the regional government points to high staffing levels: Galicia currently has around 9.7 pupils per teacher; the national average, according to the authority, is about 11.1.
The factual basis is the registration and structural data published by the Xunta de Galicia for the start of the 2026/27 school year, as well as its reference to the 2023 Agreement to Improve the Education System. These cover all stages from pre-school to Bachillerato.
The background is a demographic decline that has continued for years. According to the Xunta, the number of pupils in Galicia has fallen significantly over the past decade. The administration is responding with structural adjustments: additional staff, teacher recruitment drives and a gradual reduction in class-size quotas. The government sees this as a basis for expanding smaller learning groups and individual support.
At the same time, associations and school communities point to tensions between educational aims and maintaining local schools. Smaller year groups make it easier to offer support in existing institutions; in rural areas, however, they make it harder to maintain complete school structures. These assessments come from statements on the start of the school year and describe expected effects of known trends, not new official decisions.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).