This report presents the findings of the initial diagnostic phase of the OECD project with Catalonia to improve learning outcomes in Catalonia. It provides an assessment of Catalonia’s policies and practices in the field of education and skills, informed by international experience and evidence from OECD countries. The report draws on various sources, including a background report and additional documentation prepared by the Department of Education and Vocational Training (Departament d'Educació i Formació Professional), as well as an OECD scoping visit in September 2025 to identify the main policy issues and engage with relevant stakeholders. The findings presented in this report will inform subsequent phases of this work.
The OECD review team is deeply grateful to the Government of Catalonia, which, under the leadership of the Department of Education and Vocational Training, has generously supported this project. We extend our sincere appreciation to the Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Esther Niubó, who led Catalonia’s engagement throughout the initial diagnostic phase of the project. Catalonia’s participation in this phase of the project was expertly co-ordinated by Mireia Bel Marzo, Head of Institutional Relations at the Office of the Minister, and Ignasi Giménez Renom, Secretary for Educational Improvement. Staff across the Department engaged thoughtfully with every request from the OECD Secretariat, generously sharing their expertise, experience and perspectives throughout the diagnostic phase.
We also wish to thank the Delegation of Spain to the OECD, in particular Ambassador Ximo Puig, Alfredo Sancho Guardia, Jacobo Gutiérrez Rodríguez-Moldes, and Jaime Dorado Muñoz, for their continued support and engagement, including in facilitating the formalisation of the agreement establishing this collaboration.
The OECD review team is especially appreciative of the many individuals who participated in the OECD scoping visit. A wide range of actors across all levels of government shared valuable insights and perspectives on the school system. We are particularly grateful to the many Catalan stakeholders, including officials from the various departments of the Government of Catalonia, local education authorities, educational institutions and social partners. The warm hospitality extended to the OECD team during its stay in Catalonia made this initial phase of the project not only productive, but also a truly rewarding and memorable experience.
The OECD review team was comprised of the following members of the OECD Secretariat: Diana Toledo Figueroa (project lead and lead author of Chapter 6), Samo Varsik (Chapter 3), Lawrence Houldsworth (Chapter 4), and Emily Qing (Chapter 5). Sophia de Berardinis also contributed to this report as author of Chapter 2 and provided analytical support throughout the project. Miyako Ikeda, Giannina Rech and Guillaume Bousquet provided advice on the PISA analysis. The review team acknowledges the invaluable guidance of Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, and Paulo Santiago, Head of the Policy Advice and Implementation Division, who provided support and advice throughout the project. José Luis Álvarez Galván also contributed to the project during its initial stages. Christina Mitrakos and Eda Cabbar provided administrative and organisational support during the final stages of preparing the publication.