La The Department of Education of Castilla-La Mancha has taken a significant turn to the regulation of substitute teacher job pools. From now on, those who are part of the regular pool can remain on it without the obligation to take the competitive examination, a condition that until now was key to staying on the lists.
This change comes after several years of negotiations with the unions and will affect more than 10.300 temporary teachers in the regionIn an education system where nearly a third of teachers work on temporary contracts, the measure aims to provide greater stability, reduce red tape, and prevent situations that many considered unfair.
What exactly does the new system for staying on the stock exchange consist of?
With the modification of the order that regulates job banks, the Ministry will allow any applicant from the regular pool who submits the application to participate in the selection process will automatically remain on the list, regardless of whether or not they ultimately attend the competitive examination.
Therefore, temporary staff will have to complete the application and pay the fees of the process, as they have been doing until now, but they will have the option not to take the exam without fear of losing their place on the waiting list. This eliminates the previous requirement to take the exam to maintain the right to continue being called for substitute positions or vacancies.
The new configuration, in the opinion of the trade unions, represents a profound change in the conditions for remaining on the lists of temporary staffsince it clearly separates two levels: on the one hand, voluntary participation in the competitive examination to obtain a permanent position; on the other hand, maintaining a position in the pool as a way to access temporary appointments.
The Education Administration emphasizes that this modification will be introduced in the order regulating the operation of job banks of the non-university teaching staff, with the aim of providing clear regulatory coverage to the new formula and avoiding disparate interpretations.
A commitment demanded since 2022 and supported by the unions
The Ministry's decision did not come out of nowhere. According to the Independent Trade Union and Civil Servants' Association, CSIF had been demanding this measure since 2022, initially limited to temporary teachers over 55 years of age, and later extended to the entire group.
The president of CSIF Education Castilla-La Mancha, Juan Luis Martínez, has indicated that this step responds to the need to protect job stability and recognize accumulated experience of thousands of professionals who have been stuck on temporary contracts for years. The union describes the change as a "major step forward" and a "collective victory for substitute teachers," the result of constant union work at the negotiating table.
Martínez emphasizes that this new scenario implies a before and after in the way of understanding permanence in the stock marketsThis is because continuity on the lists is finally decoupled from the obligation to participate in a selection process that, due to various circumstances, cannot always be faced under equal conditions.
CSIF has also taken the opportunity to reiterate another of its demands: that in the next call for applications for the teaching staffThe plan for this year is to establish tribunals of all specialties in all provinces of Castilla-La Mancha, in order to facilitate participation and avoid excessive travel.
ANPE's position: legal certainty, fewer procedures and more fairness
The ANPE union, for its part, has given a “very positive” assessment of the Amendment to the Order regulating the job pools for temporary teachersAccording to them, the proposal was put forward by the Ministry at the Sectoral Committee and is part of the second block of the improvement agreement signed by ANPE and UGT, with the support of CCOO.
For this organization, the new system represents a substantial progress for hundreds of substitute teachers who, for personal, professional or unforeseen reasons, cannot or do not wish to face the selection process at a specific time, but want to continue working in public education through the ordinary pools.
ANPE emphasizes that eliminating the requirement to take exams contributes to to avoid unfair situations and simplify bureaucracysince temporary staff will no longer have to formally justify reasons such as illness, accident, pregnancy or other unforeseen circumstances that prevent them from attending the exam.
The union emphasizes that this This measure provides greater legal certainty, administrative simplicity and fairness to the entire procedure. From now on, it will be enough for the applicant to submit the application to participate in the process to ensure continuity in the pool, without needing to travel or prove reasons that in many cases were already sufficiently evident.
Furthermore, ANPE points out that this modification is in addition to Other improvements agreed for temporary teachers, such as the "Custom Assignments" platform, the non-expiration of the grade since 2010 to order the lists, the commitment to approve annually public employment offers at 120% of the replacement rate, the payment of summer pay for certain temporary staff assigned in September and October with a commitment to extension, and the recognition as time of service of the vacation accrued by substitution.
More than 10.300 temporary workers affected and a temporary employment rate of 32%
The latest data from Statistical Bulletin of personnel serving public administrationsThe report prepared by the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Function places the number of temporary teachers in Castilla-La Mancha at more than 10.300.
This figure is framed within a context in which the Temporary employment in the regional education system reaches 32%This means that approximately one in three teachers works as a temporary employee. Therefore, both CSIF and ANPE consider any progress that contributes to greater stability and predictability for this group to be especially important.
For the unions, the change agreed upon in the Ministry is only one part of a broader process. CSIF insists that it will continue to defend broader calls for competitive examinations to reduce temporary employment, along with other measures such as improving salary conditions and eliminating cuts that specifically affect temporary teachers.
At this point, the union organization recalls the Framework Agreement signed with the Ministry of FinanceThe plan, which includes a phased salary increase of up to 11,4% by 2028, the elimination of the replacement rate, and broader recruitment processes, warns that issues such as the fact that many temporary teachers do not receive summer pay if they were not hired in September or October and do not remain employed continuously until the end of the school year remain unresolved.
The union considers it a priority to put an end to this “discriminatory cut inherited from 2012”, which continues to affect thousands of temporary teachers throughout Spain and which, in his opinion, does not fit with the objective of reducing precariousness in public employment.
Practical impact for temporary teachers in Castilla-La Mancha
In practice, the new regulation means that each year, when competitive examinations are held, temporary staff from the regular pool will have to to decide more freely whether or not it is worthwhile for them to take the examThey will be able to assess their personal circumstances, their workload, their training or their family situation without the added fear of losing their place on the list if they choose not to go to the classroom on the day of the test.
For those who have been on a string of temporary appointments for years, the possibility of to maintain continuity in the stock market without necessarily undergoing a selection process This could be a significant relief. Many teachers found themselves in the position of having to take the exam "out of obligation," even knowing they hadn't been able to prepare properly, or risk being dropped from the list and losing their job.
Trade unions also point out that this formula can contribute to the education system as well. retaining teachers with extensive experience in the classroomwho might otherwise be forced to temporarily abandon teaching if he lost his position on the waiting list for not taking the exam in a given year.
From an administrative management perspective, both ANPE and CSIF emphasize that the reduction of paperwork and justifications It will allow resources to be focused on more relevant issues, avoiding the continuous processing of claims and appeals due to unforeseen circumstances that prevented attendance at the exam.
Overall, the measure is interpreted as a significant step within the teaching staff policy of Castilla-La Mancha, in line with other initiatives being discussed in Spain and at the European level to reduce the high rate of temporary employment in public education and move towards a more stable and predictable model for teachers.
With this regulatory change, Castilla-La Mancha introduces a system that allows the Temporary teachers will remain on the regular waiting list without having to take the competitive examination.provided that the application is submitted and the fees are paid, responding to a historical demand of the unions and the needs of thousands of teachers who support the ordinary functioning of the region's educational centers each year.
