The history of the Escola del Treball

The closing of the Commonwealth of Catalonia (Mancomunitat) by the government of Primo de Rivera (1923-1928) meant a hindrance in the initiatives for the improvement of education in Catalonia.

In spite of the hard historical times, there was a will to find alternative solutions for this problem by means of another kind of initiatives that could replace, as much as possible, the educational tasks of the Mancomunitat  regarding those most disadvantaged: the working class.

Given this situation, a special Board for Industrial Teaching “Junta o Patronat d’Ensenyament Industrial de la Provincia de Lleida” was created on  11^th November 1925.

Therefore, procedures were carried out in order to build a specialised school to send workers to be trained.

In February 1927 the Railway workers company offered their premises and company owners of the city were contacted in order to ask them for places  where future students could carry out their internship.

Amb tot això, es produirà un fet important a nivell general: la presentació de la “Carta Fundacional de la Formanción Professional” que encara no estava aprovada oficialment i a la qual es van presentar esmenes per part del Patronat de Lleida, entre les quals destaca la manca de possibilitats d’impartir classes diürnes.

On 19^th January 1929, Mr Ignasi Calvet I Irigoyen offered a free site for the school to be built on and donated some more extra land  to the Board to be sold.

The building  of the school was therefore approved by means of a Royal Act in October 1929.

Later on the first project of architect Magi Morera, who received an initial income for it but who agreed to do the final project for free, was approved. On Dec 13^th the last lessons in the Railway company premises were given. From January 1932 onwards lessons would be given in the permanent building of the Industrial School, which was built to provide vocational studies to workers. The opening ceremony took place on 14^th January 1932 during the Republic period.