Spain leads in school discipline issues according to OECD report
Spain tops the OECD and EU rankings in disruptive school climate indicators, per the TALIS 2024 report. Teachers face noise, disorder, and heavy bureaucratic loads, spending up to 18% of class time on discipline. The government acknowledges the need for better training and reduced administrative tasks.
The TALIS 2024 report, known as the teachers' PISA, shows Spain leading the OECD and EU in the five indicators of disruptive climate in educational centers. Nearly one-third of secondary school teachers (29%) experience noise and disorder in the classroom, above the 21% OECD average. Additionally, 29% lose significant time to student interruptions, compared to 19% in the EU and 18% in the OECD, making it the third European country in this regard.
25% of teachers report that many students do not start working until after class begins (16% OECD, 15% EU), and 24% must wait long for silence (15% international average). Approximately 18% of teaching time is spent maintaining discipline, versus 7% in Estonia. School management defines lack of discipline as bullying (18%), cyberbullying (13%), verbal abuse toward teachers (6%), vandalism (5%), physical violence among students (2%), and drug or alcohol use (2%).
Andreas Schleicher, OECD Education Director, stated that «discipline represents a problem in Spain» and recommended assigning experienced teachers to challenging centers, noting that in Spain veterans choose easier schools. State Secretary of Education Abelardo de la Rosa said there is «no generalized discipline problem in classrooms», but the Ministry is preparing an inclusion plan to address diversity as «the new normal».
40% of teachers find their university training inadequate (23% OECD, 29% EU), and 25% feel unprepared to teach theoretical content. The Teaching Degree is under reform, negotiated with unions. 64% of teachers are affected by excessive administrative tasks (52% OECD, 55% EU), the top stressor. Schleicher summarized: «Spanish teachers do not have much time, they feel administrative tasks add pressure».
The workforce is aging: only 8% are under 30, and 35% over 50. There is a higher proportion of novices (75% without experience, vs 57% OECD), often in disruptive classrooms. Ismael Sanz from Funcas opines: «The generational turnover is happening very slowly, which may hinder teachers from connecting or empathizing with students». The government, through Pedro Sánchez, commits to reducing bureaucracy.