Castile and León will begin the 2026/2027 school year on 8 September 2026. The Education Minister of the Junta de Castilla y León, María Pardo, confirmed this on Friday in Valladolid at a presentation of headline figures for non-university education. According to these, Regelbereich has 348,756 pupils enrolled, a fall of 0.07 per cent on the previous year. Early childhood education in the first cycle (ages 0–3) is set to grow substantially: it covers 23,669 children, an increase of 7.71 per cent.
Pardo identified the continuing high level of interim staffing in schools as a key problem. The Interimsquote is 9.40 per cent for primary school teachers and 17.81 per cent for other teaching staff. These figures exceed the 8 per cent target set out in Spanish regulations. Pardo attributed the figures to the two-year cycle of public recruitment examinations and referred to discussions with the unions. She said that the measures agreed in sectoral negotiations had been implemented.
There are contrasting trends across education levels. While Educación Infantil in the first cycle (ages 0–3) is growing the fastest, the second cycle (ages 3–6) is seeing a decline. Student numbers are also falling in parts of secondary education. By contrast, vocational education (Formación Profesional) is continuing to grow – in the Básico, Medio and Superior grades, as well as in specialisation courses. The ministry sees this as offsetting stagnation or declines in other areas.
The Autonomous Community’s approved school calendar sets out holiday and examination dates as well as non-teaching days, in addition to the start of classes on 8 September 2026. Details vary by education level; schools will receive further guidance on assessment periods and organisational days. The Junta de Castilla y León notes that regional and local public holidays must also be taken into account in each municipality.
The facts and figures are drawn from information presented by the Junta de Castilla y León in Valladolid on 4 September 2026. Attributions of assessments and explanations are identified as statements by the Education Minister. The ministry says projections of pupil numbers or staffing needs depend on recruitment processes and demographic trends; no independent confirmation of these is currently available.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).