Catalonia removes education chief after invalid 23.2% PISA test exemptions

Administrative dismissals and disciplinary action

Catalan Minister of Education and Vocational Training Esther Niubó announced the dismissal of Secretary General Teresa Sambola on Monday following an internal investigation into PISA testing irregularities. Marta Clari, formerly manager of social rights, health, cooperation, and community at Barcelona City Council, was named as Sambola's replacement. The department opened disciplinary proceedings against two civil servants and one senior official to establish accountability for the testing procedures. While Niubó described the management reshuffle as part of an effort to accelerate educational excellence, she conceded that the testing controversy served as a catalyst for the decision. The administrative changes occur one week before Catalan schools reopen for the new academic term.

Exemption rates and unheeded warnings

An internal probe initiated six months ago determined that 23.2% of selected 15-year-old Catalan students were exempted from the 2025 PISA tests, which took place between 31 March and 16 May. The exemption rate significantly exceeded the 5% maximum threshold established by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, rendering the regional data invalid for the upcoming 8 September report. Exclusions were granted for students with insufficient language proficiency as well as cognitive, behavioural, or emotional challenges. Between April and May 2025, the National Institute of Educational Evaluation issued seven separate alerts regarding the elevated exclusion rate, starting with an initial notification on 9 April. The warnings reached the now-extinguished Superior Council of Evaluation of the Educational System but were neither delivered to the minister nor transmitted to individual schools.

The responsibility was the department's and we assume it.

Union responses and planned strike action

Education unions rejected the dismissals as insufficient, contending that personnel changes do not address deeper structural deficits. The Ustec-Stes union demanded an independent audit, complete access to testing records, and immediate resumption of sector negotiations, noting that the administration had known about the exclusions since March. CGT Ensenyament general secretary Laura Gené criticized the minister for issuing announcements without negotiating directly with union representatives. Teachers have called a full strike for 8 September, the opening day of the academic year, over unfulfilled commitments regarding classroom temperature controls and student-teacher ratios. Representatives from the Aspepc-Sps union questioned why excluded students were not permitted to sit the exam at a later date.

Parliamentary reactions and political pressure

Opposition parties in the Catalan parliament demanded full ministerial explanations and long-term structural reforms. Junts education spokesperson Anna Erra submitted a formal request for Niubó to appear before a parliamentary committee to disclose the complete findings of the departmental report. Republican Left of Catalonia leader Oriol Junqueras stated that administrative sanctions alone would not resolve classroom challenges, renewing his call for an independent expert council operating under a 12-year mandate. Comuns parliamentary spokesperson David Cid described the administration's handling of the seven ministerial warnings as a failure. Both parties urged the executive of Salvador Illa to negotiate a broad national pact with the education sector.