Castilla-La Mancha orders educational inspection and regulates remote work

The Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Castilla-La Mancha has published Order 142/2026, of October 2, which develops Decree 45/2026, of September 1, and establishes the organization and operation of the Education Inspection in the autonomous community. The provision appears in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM) number 196, of October 13, 2026, within section I of General Provisions, and enters into force the day following its publication, October 14. It is signed by the regional minister Amador Pastor Noheda.

The order is issued under the authorization contained in the first final provision of Decree 45/2026 and in the exercise of the power attributed by article 36.1 of Law 11/2003, of September 25, of the Government and the Consultative Council of Castilla-La Mancha. Its reference framework is article 153 bis of Organic Law 2/2006, of May 3, on Education, modified by Organic Law 3/2020, of December 29, as well as Royal Decree 68/2026, of February 4, which updated the basic state framework for educational inspection.

The Sectoral Education Board and the School Council of Castilla-La Mancha participated in its processing through the issuance of the mandatory report. The text consists of 48 articles distributed across eight chapters, in addition to two additional provisions, one transitional, one repealing, and two final provisions, and it repeals the Order of 08-04-2008, which developed Decree 34/2008, of February 26.

Zone teams and weekly coordination

The regulation organizes the service through the General Education Inspection and the Provincial Inspection Services, which are organized through the Service Head, the Deputy Head, the Zone teams, the Specific work areas, the Provincial Coordination Commission, and the Provincial Inspection Council. The zone teams, the basic territorial structure in each province, will hold coordination meetings at least once a week, whenever possible, with documentary evidence of the agreements.

• The Provincial Coordination Commission will meet ordinarily on a weekly basis and will forward the minutes of each session to the zone teams within a maximum period of 48 hours.
• The Provincial Inspection Council will meet at least once per quarter.
• Assignment to zones will be agreed upon by the Provincial Delegation upon the proposal of the Service Head, for a period of four years and based on criteria of territorial balance and workloads.
• The Evaluation Area and the Standardized Procedures and Documents Area are established at the regional level, and a temporary Research Area may be created.

Planning, evaluation and continuous improvement

The General Action and Training Plan shall have a maximum validity of four years, and its guidelines shall be mandatory for provincial services and all inspection personnel. The Provincial Action and Training Plans shall be drawn up annually and reviewed every quarter, with indicators regarding presence in centers, incidents, and compliance with deadlines.

At the end of the academic year, each provincial service shall draw up an Improvement Plan which, once reported by the Provincial Inspection Council, shall be submitted to the General Inspectorate of Education before July 31. The evaluation of the inspection function shall consider the technical quality of reports, minutes, and requirements, regulatory adequacy, advisory services, compliance with deadlines, and attention to the educational community in accordance with the Service Charter.

Remote work, with annual authorization

Presence in centers, educational services, and administrative offices is established as the ordinary and priority form of service delivery. Remote work shall be voluntary, reversible, instrumental, and complementary, and shall require express authorization with a maximum duration of one year, renewable for successive periods of up to one year.

• Applications shall be submitted on an ordinary basis during the month of September, via electronic means and with an electronic signature.
• The maximum period for resolution and notification shall be one month; if this period passes without an express resolution, the application shall be understood as rejected.
• The remote workday shall include a fixed schedule from 9:00 to 14:00 hours and a flexible slot to complete seven hours, between 7:30 and 9:00 or between 14:00 and 15:00.
• Inspection visits, actions requiring physical presence, and intervention in urgent incidents are excluded from this modality.

Training, tutoring, and adaptation of plans

The order regulates initial and permanent training, the induction plan, and tutoring during the first year of service, provided by a career civil servant inspector. The General Inspectorate of Education shall draw up an Annual Continuous Training Plan each year, integrated into the Annual Teacher Training Plan, and shall promote participation in national and international networks.

The Provincial Action and Training Plans must be adapted to the new order within one month of its entry into force, while the General Inspectorate shall determine, by instructions, the aspects for immediate application and those that may be deferred to the following academic year.

The regulation directly affects educational centers, teaching staff, management teams, and families in Castilla-La Mancha, who from now on will have a single framework for inspection activities, with standardized protocols and documents of mandatory use, and an evaluation system oriented toward continuous improvement. Its entry into force on October 14 opens a transition period during which provincial services must reorganize their planning and procedures in accordance with the new model.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 196, of October 13, 2026, section I.- General Provisions, page 36354 (official reference: 2026/7252).