Teacher sick leave in Catalonia soars 150% in five years
Teacher sick leave in Catalonia rose from 30,000 to 80,000 a year between 2018 and 2023, a 150% increase that highlights stress, violence and a lack of substitutes.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Teacher sick leave in Catalonia soars 150% in five years
In 2018, the Catalan administration handled an average of 30,000 sick leave cases among primary and secondary teachers per year. By 2023, that figure had surpassed 80,000 — a 150% increase that leaves the public education system on the brink of collapse. The number of active teachers grew by 15% over the same period, from 81,356 to 93,658, but temporary incapacity cases multiplied by 2.7. The paradox is clear: there are more teachers, but far more of them going on leave.
Hell in the classroom: stress, violence and a shortage of substitutes
Behind the figures lies a shared diagnosis: teaching has become a constant psychological risk. Verbal and physical assaults, threats, demotivated students and a lack of institutional support form an explosive cocktail. It is not a phenomenon unique to Catalonia: schools across Europe are short of teachers, and the shortage keeps growing. In some subjects there are not even substitute teacher lists, and when there are, substitutes turn down the posts or last two days.
The debate over how sick leave is managed
While in Germany conservative candidate Friedrich Merz has already proposed tightening the requirements for justifying sick leave — ending phone-in sick days and requiring in-person assessments — Catalonia's system continues to handle record volumes. Some argue the solution lies in mass rehiring and dismissing those who accumulate absences; others point to the deeper problem of a lack of authority in the classroom and social pressure on teachers. What is certain is that the substitute pool has run dry.
A system limping through a global crisis
The phenomenon is not local. Several analyses indicate that teacher stress is an international epidemic. The pandemic made conditions worse, but the trend was already upward. In Catalonia, the peak in sick leave is concentrated in the school years after elbichito, with no sign of easing. With a workforce that has grown by barely 15% and a volume of leave that has tripled, the equation is unsustainable. The question nobody can fully answer is: if there are no teachers available, who will teach tomorrow?
In 2018, the Catalan administration handled an average of 30,000 sick leave cases among primary and secondary teachers per year. By 2023, that figure had surpassed 80,000 — a 150% increase that leaves the public education system on the brink of collapse. The number of active teachers grew by 15% over the same period, from 81,356 to 93,658, but temporary incapacity cases multiplied by 2.7. The paradox is clear: there are more teachers, but far more of them going on leave.
Hell in the classroom: stress, violence and a shortage of substitutes
Behind the figures lies a shared diagnosis: teaching has become a constant psychological risk. Verbal and physical assaults, threats, demotivated students and a lack of institutional support form an explosive cocktail. It is not a phenomenon unique to Catalonia: schools across Europe are short of teachers, and the shortage keeps growing. In some subjects there are not even substitute teacher lists, and when there are, substitutes turn down the posts or last two days.
The debate over how sick leave is managed
While in Germany conservative candidate Friedrich Merz has already proposed tightening the requirements for justifying sick leave — ending phone-in sick days and requiring in-person assessments — Catalonia's system continues to handle record volumes. Some argue the solution lies in mass rehiring and dismissing those who accumulate absences; others point to the deeper problem of a lack of authority in the classroom and social pressure on teachers. What is certain is that the substitute pool has run dry.
A system limping through a global crisis
The phenomenon is not local. Several analyses indicate that teacher stress is an international epidemic. The pandemic made conditions worse, but the trend was already upward. In Catalonia, the peak in sick leave is concentrated in the school years after elbichito, with no sign of easing. With a workforce that has grown by barely 15% and a volume of leave that has tripled, the equation is unsustainable. The question nobody can fully answer is: if there are no teachers available, who will teach tomorrow?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (40 replies).
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