CESI and ANPE call for stronger implementation of European equality policies in education

Barcelona, 8 October 2025 — CESI and ANPE, Spain’s main union for non-university teachers, jointly held a conference in Barcelona on European equality policies and their application in education. The event, organised within the framework of the EqualPro project, highlighted both the progress achieved in Spain thanks to EU strategies and the need for more consistent, well-resourced implementation.

Opening the conference, Klaus Heeger, CESI Secretary General, stressed the importance of assessing how European gender equality directives influence national policies. Ignasi Giménez, from the Catalan Department of Education, emphasised that “schools must guarantee equal opportunities” and that this “requires cultural transformation, not only laws.” Sonia García, ANPE National Vice President, and Joaquim Pintado, President of ANPE Catalonia, underlined the need for cooperation between European institutions and national education systems to make equality a practical reality.

Discussions showed that the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025 has been key to advancing gender mainstreaming in Spain’s public administration through equality plans and monitoring tools. However, implementation remains uneven, and challenges persist — notably the gender pay gap, the unequal sharing of care duties, and the lack of women in leadership roles, even in education.

Participants also examined the situation in schools, recognising progress under the LOMLOE, which integrates coeducation and diversity into curricula. Yet insufficient funding and teacher training hinder full implementation. Persistent vocational imbalances — such as women’s underrepresentation in STEM fields and the low number of male teachers in early childhood education — were also noted.

CESI and ANPE concluded that European equality policies and funds have driven meaningful progress but require greater consistency, resources, and evaluation. They called for equality to become a structural priority supported by stable financing, clear impact indicators, and active trade union participation.

Closing the event, Francisco Venzalá, ANPE National President, reaffirmed both organisations’ commitment: “Teachers are the engine of change, responsible for shaping a society based on equal opportunities, shared values, and social justice.”