Andorra Teachers Protest Chronic Staffing Shortages and Low Pay
Educators at schools in Canillo, Encamp, and Andorra la Vella decry persistent assistant shortages due to inadequate pay around €1,000/month and.
Key Points
- Shortages persist for months at Canillo's French School; one staffer covers ages 3-5.
- Pay ~€1,000/month; workers cover CASS health and transport costs, leading to high turnover.
- Ministry accused of lacking recruitment staff and ignoring legal assistant requirements.
- Teachers hold 20-year temporary contracts; calls for better pay, benefits, stability.
Teachers and educational assistants in Andorra are voicing growing frustration over chronic staffing shortages, particularly at the French School in Canillo, with similar issues reported in Encamp and parts of Andorra la Vella. Professionals blame inadequate working conditions and low pay, accusing the Ministry of Education of failing to address the problem despite legal requirements to provide assistants across all school systems.
The shortages have persisted for months at the Canillo school, where a single staff member is now responsible for children aged just over three to five years old. Sources describe the situation as exacerbated by administrative mishaps, including a recent case where a worker emailed after the Christmas holidays to thank for the opportunity but confirm they had found better employment elsewhere. The recipient reportedly only skimmed the initial lines, overlooking the full message until the worker failed to return at the start of term.
Pay is cited as the core issue, with positions offering around €1,000 monthly. Workers must cover their own CASS health contributions and transport costs—often from areas like Sant Julià de Lòria, making the role financially unviable. "With what they pay, the ministry can't find anyone, and when they do, they leave as soon as something better comes up," one source explained.
Critics argue the ministry lacks dedicated personnel to recruit and retain staff, pointing to a broader neglect of educators. Canillo's remote location adds challenges, but professionals insist education deserves priority investment over other expenditures. They also highlight long-term precariousness, noting that many teachers have held temporary contracts for 20 years—arrangements that would be illegal in the private sector.
Instead of leaving vacancies unfilled in violation of regulations, affected staff urge the ministry to overhaul pay, benefits, and contract stability to make the roles attractive. The ministry has not yet commented on the complaints.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: