On the 29th of November, OIDEL’s Executive Committee elected Teresa Martínez as the new President and Josep-Manuel Prats as the new Secretary General of OIDEL. The two take the baton from Diego Barroso who has been president of OIDEL for the past 5 years and from Angel Sanchez who served as Secretary General of OIDEL for over 17 years. The General Assembly and the Executive Committee thank them for their work and commitment during those years.
Key contributions for the former president
Diego Barroso joined the Executive Committee of OIDEL in 2017 and was elected president in 2018. In the first year of his mandate, he witnessed significant advancements in education, including the European Parliament’s Resolution on modernization, and experienced firsthand the internal changes following the passing of Alfred Fernandez. With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, under his presidency, OIDEL faced challenges that led to an increase in online activities and virtual conferences, maintaining the momentum in education despite limitations. Under Diego’s presidency, OIDEL continued to exert its influence in education, as reflected in the update of the Freedom of Education Index. Diego handed over the presidency to Teresa Martínez in 2023.
About the new President
Teresa Martínez has been director of La Vall school (1500 students) from 1996 to 2016 where she has implemented the EFQM (Foundation for Quality Management) European model, with a special focus on team management and the implementation of family-responsible business practices. She also was vice-president of EASSE (European Association Single-Sex Education). From 2016 to 2023, Ms. Martínez was the CEO of Institució Familiar d’Educació (a network of 13 State-funded, independent schools). She further was vice-president at the educational association ACAE, where she represented non-state schools to different educational administrations. In that position, she advocated for school choice and gained experience negotiating with political parties, as she was responsible for the development and implementation of educational laws.
About the new Secretary General
Josep-Manuel Prats was a director at Institució Familiar d’Educació from 2005 to 2013, where he was responsible for communication, institutional relations, and relations with the students’ families. During the same time, he directed a charter school (1600 students). Furthermore, Mr. Prats is active in several parent associations where he held important leadership positions. Since 2008 an active member of EPA (European Parents Association), he operated as vice-president of their board of directors between 2013 and 2019. Since 2011, he has been president of FAPEL (Federation of Parents Associations of Catalonia), and vice-president of COFAPA (Confederation of Parents Associations of Spain). As part of that mandate, he represents the organization in commissions and study groups related to educational policy, and parental rights and freedoms.
The Executive Committee is certain that, with their qualifications, experience, and commitment Ms. Martínez and Mr. Prats are the right people to keep advancing OIDEL’s mission.