Andorran Parents Protest Lax Grading and iPad-Heavy Education at Escola Andorrana

Parents of students at Escola Andorrana have voiced strong objections to the school's evaluation system, which bases final grades in each subject solely on the end-of-term exam. They also criticise the policy allowing students to advance to the next grade, earn the basic education certificate or obtain the bachillerat title by passing just half of their subjects—a threshold that does not require approval in Catalan, Andorra's official language and a cornerstone of national identity.

The parents are urging the Ministry of Institutional Relations, Education and Universities to heed their concerns, reverse these measures and restore more rigorous standards. One parent described the changes as "destroying the education of our country," calling for an end to constant screen use, superficial assessments "for show" and disregard for the Catalan language and cultural identity.

Excessive screen time emerges as another major grievance. Families, citing scientific studies, highlight proven risks to children and adolescents, including vision problems and eye strain, sleep disorders from melatonin suppression, heightened anxiety and depression, and attention deficits with impulsivity. At Escola Andorrana, the iPad serves as the primary teaching tool, raising fears that students could access chats or pornography sites. Last week, authorities recommended bolstering child digital safety after discovering adolescents in WhatsApp groups sharing explicit content. Some phone numbers in the groups traced to Spain, France and Argentina, prompting suspicions of adult involvement in their creation or distribution.