Educational and Social Reforms in Spain
Educational and Social Reforms During the Second Spanish Republic
The proclamation of the Republic in 1931 led to the opportunity to realize educational renewal projects. The reform was centered on the idea of a unified, secular, compulsory, and free school system. The expulsion of the Jesuits and the exclusion of religious orders from instruction required the government to make a major effort in education. Primary education expenditures rose considerably, which permitted an increase in the number of schools by 30% between 1931 and 1933.
Secondary education reform had less depth. In college, the ministry implemented new changes in the reform of curricula to modernize education. To spread education in rural areas, the government launched the Pedagogical Missions.
The legal and social equality of men and women brought legislative developments that altered the relations between the sexes and placed Spain at the European vanguard. Civil marriage and divorce laws were approved. However, legal equality did not fully translate into a change in mentalities. Subordination to men relativized the legal victories. Despite this, women increased their presence in different fields. In the fields of work and culture, women had greater access to teaching, and urban modernization introduced a new model of woman.
The arrival of a new minister of work posed a reform. In the labor field, rules benefited workers, including regulations on the length of the day and Sunday rest. Regulation of relations between capital and worker representatives followed the route of Primo de Rivera on collective bargaining. There was also an administrative reform of the functions of the Ministry of Labor. Despite this, social conflict did not decrease.
The urgent needs of the working classes to find practical reflection of the alleged intentions of the government collided head-on with the economic situation imposed by the crisis of the 1930s. Also, from the Left, especially from anarchism, the Communist Party considered that the Republican government’s reforms were temporizing because of its character.
Consequences of the Spanish Civil War
The final regime of General Franco was built on a Spain decimated by three years of intense and bloody civil war. The demographic, economic, and moral consequences would endure for many years. The end of the conflict was characterized by an enormous movement of approximately 560,000 people who died because of the war, causing a decrease in the birth rate. Many Republicans crossed the border at the end of the war.
Economic Consequences
- Loss of the active population.
- Cities were destroyed or damaged, requiring reconstruction.
- Production dropped by 30%.
- Even factories that were not damaged experienced a reduction in output, especially in iron and steel.
- Spain also had to support debt that Franco contracted with Germany, Italy, American oil companies, and the Soviet Union.
The population lacked almost everything. Staple foods were rationed, and the black market increased, benefiting a fortunate few at the expense of the misery of the majority. Thousands of families chose to cross the border socially. Most of them ended up in overcrowded refugee camps before being shipped to America.
Political and Social Repression
The winning side imposed economic sanctions on the vanquished. During the early post-war years, jails were full of political prisoners, many of whom were shot. Repression also began in the public sector, and vacant positions were filled by former followers. But the repression was not only political but also economic, as many people lost their properties, which were confiscated and auctioned. The state of war lasted until 1948, tempered by repression.