CONTROVERSIAL plans to send police officers into schools across Catalunya have begun to falter, with several educational centres already moving to withdraw from the scheme.
Earlier this week, the Catalan government unveiled a pilot project that would see Catalan police, known as the Mossos d’Esquadra, sent into 14 schools to help stop violence and ‘improve coexistence’.
But before the plan could even start, four schools have already asked to pull out.
These include three schools in Vic and one in L’Hospitalet, but many others are expected to join them.
The government planned to send six plain-clothes, unarmed officers to work inside the schools, saying officers would help with ‘mediation’ and ‘conflict prevention’.
However, teachers argue that their schools are not problematic and that the measure is unjustified.
At one school in Vic, 59 out of 61 teachers voted against the plan.
In recent days, protests have already taken place, with staff calling for more specialised educational staff instead of officers.
The Catalan education minister, Esther Niubo, insists the plan is ‘voluntary’, claiming school principals requested the help.
Meanwhile, president Salvador Illa stressed that ‘those who do not want officers, won’t have them’.
But many teachers disagree. They say the plan was ‘imposed’ on them and they were never given a real choice.
The education ministry maintains that, for now, they have no record of the request from these schools.
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