Murcia pulls out of native English assistant programme in schools

The decision means around 270 language assistants will no longer be placed in classrooms across the Region next academic year

The Murcia Region has decided not to join the national programme for native language conversation assistants in schools, meaning students in the Region will not have access to it next academic year.

The scheme will continue in 14 other autonomous communities, as well as in Ceuta and Melilla, where native speakers are brought into classrooms to support foreign-language learning, mainly English.

As a result, students in Murcia will miss out on a support that, in many classrooms, makes such a difference to speaking practice. The assistants usually spend around 12 hours a week in schools, working alongside teachers and helping students use the language in conversation, rather than just reading or writing it.

They often fill a gap where teachers may have a good level of English but don't always use it freely in long, natural conversation during lessons. In some cases, parts of the class can end up switching back into Spanish, especially when students are less confident or the topic gets more complex.

Because the assistants are not seen as teachers, students also tend to speak more openly with them. There is often less pressure, more willingness to try, and less worry about getting everything right. That usually leads to more speaking time in English and, over time, better confidence.

The decision comes after Murcia chose not to sign up to the updated 2026–2027 programme agreed between the Ministry of Education and 14 other regions. 

Murcia's Education Department has said the decision not to join the programme is linked to legal uncertainty around the role of the assistants, as well as timing issues and concerns about possible financial penalties linked to labour inspections. Around 270 assistants who had been working across the Region in English, French, German, Italian and Chinese will no longer be placed in schools.

The regional government is now looking at other ways to use the European funding that was supporting the programme to create different forms of language immersion in schools. The focus, they say, is still on improving languages, just through options that feel more secure and easier to manage legally.

While the programme continues in most of Spain, students in Murcia will no longer benefit from native speaker support that has become a regular part of language learning in many classrooms.

See also: Spain slashes bus fares by 22% on dozens of national routes

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