Interview with J. Ignasi Fernández Daroca, lawyer and Secretary General of the Secondary School Teachers’ Union (aspepc·sps)

Ignasi Fernández Daroca: “We have achieved a victory for the teaching profession and for education”

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Eva Serra

Ignasi Fernández Daroca (@IfSecundaria) has recently been appointed Secretary General of the Secondary School Teachers’ Union (aspepc·sps), following the retirement of his predecessor, Xavier Massó Aguadé. Until now, and since 2002 he has been working as the union’s legal counsel, securing important victories in the courts, such as the recent judgment of the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) which, in response to the claim lodged by aspepc·sps, abolished the possibility of grouping different subjects in areas (known in Catalan as àmbits) in the 4th year of ESO, annulled the current offer of Mathematics, and obliged Catalan schools to provide the full range of optional subjects.

His extensive career in the field of trade unionism, but also in other branches of law and teaching—among other occupations—offers a broad strategic perspective to the union’s new leadership. This is an organisation which, for over thirty years, has been warning of the shortcomings of an educational law: The LOGSE, introduced in 1990, gave rise to a string of subsequent laws which have progressively worsened academic outcomes, as shown by international reports.

A graduate in Anglo-Germanic Philology, Fernández Daroca has worked as a sworn translator (the official certification granted in Spain by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) of German, Catalan and Spanish. He is a catedràtic (senior secondary school teacher) in English and was also an associate lecturer in German at Rovira i Virgili University (Tarragona) between 2000 and 2002. Holding a Law degree as well, he has been practising as a lawyer since 2001.

A favourable judgment at the very beginning of your new stage as Secretary General and just before the start of the school year. In Catalonia, the àmbits have been removed in the 4th year of ESO, the Mathematics curriculum has been split to include a second, more academic option, and schools are no longer allowed to decide freely which optional subjects to offer.

Firstly, with the abolition of àmbits in the 4th year of ESO, the ruling of the first judgment (STSJC No. 253/2025) has been confirmed, as these had already been removed from the baccalaureate. The Court itself stated that it had expelled from the education system a methodology that effectively meant the ‘primary-schooling’ of secondary education in Catalonia, in the sense of projecting the figure of the ‘all-subject’ teacher. There is no doubt that we have achieved a victory for the teaching profession and for education: respect for the teacher’s discipline.

“With the abolition of àmbits in the 4th year of ESO, the ruling of the first judgment, which had already removed them from the baccalaureate, is confirmed” 

Secondly, regarding Mathematics provision, we have secured that both pathways (A and B)* are offered, as is the case in the rest of Spain. Before this judgment, our students could not access pathway B. Guaranteeing a more academic Mathematics curriculum therefore represents a clear step forward in improving educational quality and, once again, another victory for the teaching profession.

Thirdly, with regard to the obligation to offer all optional subjects in the 4th year of ESO, we have ensured that the range of options will no longer depend on what each school wishes to propose, as is currently the case. The offer will now be mandatory. This is a clear setback for school autonomy.

A setback achieved thanks to your experience as a lawyer and trade unionist, but also owing to your degree in Philology and your work as a translator and teacher… Which intellectual interests motivated this interdisciplinary trajectory in your studies and professional experience?

The interdisciplinarity was never a premeditated goal. All my studies stemmed from a curiosity that was never systematically planned; it was simply a desire to learn, to read, to acquire languages, and above all, the aspiration to one day teach everything I had learnt. I studied Anglo-Germanic Philology with the idea that I would always be a secondary school teacher, that I would retire teaching. But I was also drawn to the study of law and to the practice of advocacy. Perhaps because it has been said ad nauseam, or because it sounds too simple, we tend to undervalue what Machado told the wayfarer as a guiding principle of life. Indeed, “there is no path; the path is made by walking”. Thus, by learning apparently unconnected disciplines, one makes one’s own way and, in the end, everything falls into place, and one finds one’s place in society.

In my case—and this also answers your question—the knowledge of modern languages has served me in teaching, but also in specialising in private international law, attending to foreign clients, and here too translation, both sworn and legal, found its place. Thanks to law and teaching I entered the union’s legal services. So, I insist: the path is not laid out in advance; everyone makes their own as they go.

How do the different disciplines you have worked in connect within the field of teaching?

In secondary education I only taught English and, occasionally, an optional German course. My law studies were not directly related to this. For some years, I taught German translation at the University, and there we did work on some legal texts. Let us say that the convergence of everything I studied took place in the field of law, and subsequently within the union. At that time, they needed a practising lawyer who was also a secondary school teacher. A rare profile but, to return to the poet’s words, it was where the path led me.

From your previous trade union experience, which achievement are you most satisfied with, and which remains pending for the future?

My trade union experience to date has been closely linked to legal services and, as a landmark, I would highlight two aspects. Firstly, all the cases I resolved in defence of our members—though it pains me not to have been able to solve them all. Secondly, all the judgments won on behalf of the union. It is unnecessary to list them now, but, in summary, some uphold subject specialisation and the transmission of knowledge, others defend the secondary school teaching staff, and still others safeguard the principle of merit and ability in the allocation of posts. In short, the contribution of legal services has been modest but effective, for it is undeniable that a substantial part of our union’s principles has been validated by the courts.

“It is undeniable that a substantial part of our union’s principles has been validated by the courts” 

How important is subject specialisation in secondary school teaching?

It is fundamental. But allow me to sketch some historical background to understand our current situation:

Already in the first major education law, the Pidal Law (1845), the principle of subject specialisation for “secondary” teachers was established. Since then, all educational laws have maintained this principle. I recall that when I was in the 6th year of EGB (Spanish General Basic Education), we had a mathematics teacher, a Spanish teacher, and so on for each subject. That is to say, with the General Education Act of 1970, there were specialist teachers, but with the LOGSE and the creation of ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education), the 6th-year Primary specialists disappeared.

More recently, with the introduction of subject areas (àmbits)under the LOMLOE, the role of the specialist teacher was lost from 1st to 3rd ESO. In Catalonia, the situation was even worse, since it was intended to extend these subject areas to 4th ESO and to the Baccalaureate. This was an attempt to impose the primary-style teacher model at these levels, but fortunately, through the union’s legal services, we put a stop to it.

“The LOGSE, and especially the LOMLOE and the Catalan curriculum decrees, have sought to eradicate the figure of the specialist teacher, an institution rooted since 1845”

In short, the LOGSE, and especially the LOMLOE and the Catalan curriculum decrees, have sought to eradicate the figure of the specialist teacher, an institution rooted since 1845. We were the only organisation to fight this battle, which is already quite significant of the importance subject specialisation has for us.

Furthermore, we should not forget that OECD education systems adhere to the principle of specialisation—think, for example, of China and the results it obtains in PISA.

In 2007, the American consultancy McKinsey published the report How the World’s Best-Performing School Systems Come Out on Top. After an exhaustive study, it concluded with statements such as: “the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers”.

We fully share this conclusion. I have never understood why in daily life we must always consult specialists—whether a lawyer, doctor, or engineer—yet in teaching, this is not the case. I believe the reason is that legislators care less about the quality of education and more about ensuring that schools become little more than care centres, where an all-subject teacher delivers all instruction.

So yes, specialisation is vital for us. So much so that we are the only union in Spain—and possibly in Europe—that has enshrined in its statutes the defence of subject specialisation and the figure of the specialist teacher.

The defence of a demanding curriculum or of external assessments is regarded as an anachronism by advocates of new pedagogy. Yet results suggest that abandoning this has negatively affected academic performance. Why do you think education authorities persist in this direction rather than rectifying?

I would nuance that: not only a demanding curriculum, but also a structured one. And now my answer: I believe that years ago the education authorities clung to certain pedagogical theses—not that they were new—with the idea that everything innovative was, by definition, good. This naturally led to another dogma: that everything traditional in teaching was bad. Equating false pairings such as “traditional” with “useless” or “obsolete”, if not outright “francoist”, has greatly harmed our students. These unfortunate and reckless associations are born of ignorance and persist due to the lack of leadership and conviction among education officials. Politicians are weak and have become slaves to pedagogical trends. For thirty years they have repudiated words such as memory, discipline, transmission of knowledge, effort, blackboards and chalk, and many others. I will give just one example: the teacher’s platform. It disappeared from classrooms with the LOGSE, on the grounds that it placed students in a position of inferiority (sigh). Yet, as far as I know, it has not disappeared from theatres or concert halls, where it still serves its purpose: to ensure that speech and vision are clearly perceptible to the audience. And yet today, no politician would dare state in public that we should return to the platform, to blackboards, or to fostering memory in pupils.

But reality is changing. International reports are devastating; public opinion and society are realising that we have been subjected to an educational fraud for years, and in some way, we are steering this change. We also have the legitimacy to reclaim this message, because we have been saying it for thirty years.

What does trade union action in education need today to become an effective counterweight?

Simple: greater strength, more members, and more votes.

“Reality is changing. International reports are devastating; public opinion and society are realising that we have been subjected to an educational fraud for years, and in some way, we are steering this change”

How would you define the profile of the teacher who joins Aspepc? In what way do they differ from members of other trade unions?

There is no standard profile. Teachers join for multiple reasons, but there is a common denominator among members. Let me explain: a large number join for practical reasons—legal defence, consultation, attending talks, enrolling in a union training course. There is also a sizeable group who join because they share our vision of education, whether in ESO, Baccalaureate, or vocational training. Those in the first group often remain because they end up sharing our discourse, as do those in the second, while both may one day need the union’s legal services or advice, for example, on the internal teacher transfer competition.

Taking this idea of the “long-term member”—regardless of the initial reason for joining—we can say that the average member is a secondary school teacher, devoted to their subject, who wishes to teach, whether in ESO, Baccalaureate, or vocational training. In order for their students to learn, they need a working climate of respect in the classroom, where pupils listen and make an effort. This teacher requires the support of the school management and expects government to ensure that appointments are made with transparency, fairness, and with strict respect for the principles of merit and capacity. I believe this is an accurate and credible portrait of our typical member.

What is the daily work of a union representative like?

There is a great deal of work. Every day, a representative must respond to queries—by phone or email—draft or help draft appeals and requests. Weekly tasks also include visiting schools, updating colleagues on developments, attending them in person, and above all, listening. If the representative also covers a specific area—selection process for posts, remuneration, competitive exams—they must resolve queries forwarded by the service centre. Beyond this, a representative must remain informed about all matters affecting education, which requires constant updating: reading, monitoring social networks and websites, and occasionally publishing articles. Finally, they must attend meetings with the department, at the Teachers’ Committee, Health and Safety Committees, teaching staff boards, and all relevant internal union meetings.

Which trade union goals will be priorities for Aspepc in the coming school year?

Internally, training new representatives and consolidating the team. For teachers, continuing to act as what we are: the leading secondary school union, and consolidating this position. This entails defending teachers across all areas: in negotiations, in the courts, in dealings with school inspection and management when necessary. It also means maintaining efficiency in resolving queries and providing guidance on selection processes for posts, system of provisional appointments or competitive exams. In this regard, we also intend to expand and update our current training courses.

“We will closely monitor the instructions given to schools to ensure full compliance with the recent judgments won at the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC)”

At the departmental level, our objectives include, among others, insisting on the repayment of the estadis debt (seniority-related pay increments), the call for new càtedres (senior teaching posts), the repeal of the Decret de Plantilles (staff provision decree), improvements in remuneration, and the recognition of teachers as public authorities. On more specific issues, we will closely monitor the instructions given to schools to ensure full compliance with the recent judgments won at the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC), and the implementation of all the measures ordered by the courts, which are neither few nor insignificant. And regarding this monitoring. I must add that we will be particularly vigilant to ensure that what has regrettably become the norm is not repeated, and that, once and for all, next summer’s system of provisional appointments is conducted properly.

Union action for the year is still being defined, but I can announce that in the short term we will launch a campaign for pay improvements, supported by a detailed report prepared by our economists. We also plan to publicise and disseminate the latest judgment we won against the Basic Education Decree.

How is your relationship with other trading unions? Is there the same polarised climate we see in other sectors, or would you say that, in teaching, the atmosphere is somewhat calmer? As a lawyer, always seeking consensus, do you think this spirit has taken root, or is the opposite happening?

I would say we maintain good working relations. I believe union unity is possible in many transversal issues, such as the fight for better pay or the repeal of the Decreto de Plantillas. Such unity is vital. However, I see little chance of consensus regarding the educational model. I must explain this carefully. It is well known that our trade union struggle is not limited to defending the social rights of the profession—and let me stress that we defend them vigorously—but also to advocating for an educational model based on the transmission of knowledge delivered by specialist teachers. This is precisely the added value of our union. Our message is well developed, clear and direct, but, as I say, it is an added value: it is the “Secondary School Teachers” brand, a hallmark that other unions lack. For this reason, sometimes this demand is either not shared by the other unions, or, in other cases, is not part of their agenda.

“As for negotiating capacity, we shall soon have an excellent opportunity to put this to the test in the September meeting with the Minister”

Is the current Department of Education a negotiating partner with real capacity? Do you believe they have shown signs of wanting to change the educational data in Catalonia?

In the meetings I have attended, I have found there is a fluent atmosphere, a genuine concern about report results, and a will for change. Another matter is that the improvements they propose are often merely surgical, even cosmetic, whereas for us it is essential to tackle the root problem. As for negotiating capacity, we shall soon have an excellent opportunity to put this to the test in the September meeting with the Minister, where we will present our demands. Let me highlight that once again we will call for the repeal of the Decret de Plantilles and for three measures with financial implications: the call for càtedres, repayment of the estadis owed, and a pay rise.

From their response, we shall see…

The press plays a fundamental role as a transmitter of education policy. How sensitive are journalists to your demands? Do you believe these are adequately represented in the media?

For years, the media were absent from the debate and unwilling to see the educational chaos in which we were immersed. Until quite recently, public discussions revolved around preconceived ideas: that poor results were due to Covid, that we had to travel to Finland and copy everything, or that the solution was simply more resources (more computers, smaller class sizes). Yes, we felt totally isolated and alone in our demands, trying to explain that the problem was fundamental, but it was like talking to a brick wall.

Now, however, as PISA has confirmed what we already knew, and families, above all parents, have become aware, everything has changed. The media have lifted the blindfold—abruptly, almost overnight. And the trend is now unstoppable, because our demands embody common sense, and are now shared by society. There is broad consensus on the basics necessary to transmit knowledge: that children must read, and the more the better; that they must master mathematics; that they should not be glued to screens; and that they must make an effort to learn. Simple, isn’t it?

During the pandemic Aspepc-Sps created the Episteme Foundation. Today it represents the voice of many collectives dissatisfied with competence-based education. Do you think it has been a catalyst for change towards a more organised movement?

The Episteme Foundation is indeed a spokesperson for the educational model we defend, and which is also supported by many collectives. It is still somewhat early to draw full conclusions, but there is no doubt that the Foundation has played a role in this trend towards change. Personally, I regard as a highly significant and far-reaching event the Congress it organised in 2022, with the outstanding participation of Nuno Crato, former Minister of Education of Portugal.

“In life in general, if your message has an impact, if you disturb, if you are attacked, it means you are being heard, that you exist, that you matter…”

We often see that the major lines of the current education system are not clearly conveyed to families and to different social sectors. What is the Foundation doing in this regard?

The Episteme Foundation serves as another loudspeaker for this discourse of common sense. If the message is transmitted by Episteme, it can reach other collectives who may be reluctant—or at least sceptical—about listening to unions. And yes, I am thinking primarily of families.

What would you say to critics who attack Episteme?

First of all, I would like to know who these critics are and, above all, the content of their opinions. If we are speaking of a reasoned questioning of the educational model defended by Episteme, then I would invite them to debate and confront ideas. If, however, it is a systematic, unfounded attack against the very existence of the Foundation—an unreasoned rejection of Episteme—then I believe this is an excellent indicator of the excellent work being carried out. Quite simply because, in life in general, if your message has an impact, if you disturb, if you are attacked, it means you are being heard, that you exist, that you matter.

* Mathematics A: focused on solving problems and everyday situations. Mathematics B: in addition to the above, provides further depth in algebraic, geometric, analytical and statistical procedures.

Source: educational EVIDENCE

Rights: Creative Commons