The resignation at own request of the Secretary General of Education of Extremadura

The Official Gazette of Extremadura publishes this Wednesday, in issue number 203, the resignation at his own request of Francisco Eugenio Pozo Pitel as Secretary General of the Department of Education and Vocational Training of the Regional Government of Extremadura. The decision is formalized through Decree 174/2026, of October 20, approved upon the proposal of the regional minister of the department and following the deliberation of the Governing Council in its session on October 20, 2026. The cessation takes effect from the day of its publication in the gazette, that is, October 21.

A voluntary departure with express gratitude

The decree is limited to a single substantive provision: to arrange the cessation, “at his own request,” of Francisco Eugenio Pozo Pitel as Secretary General of the Department of Education and Vocational Training, “thanking him for the services rendered.” The regulation does not incorporate additional motivation nor does it detail the personal or professional reasons that led the holder to request his replacement.

The text was signed in Mérida on October 20, 2026, by the president of the Regional Government of Extremadura, María Guardiola Martín, and by the regional minister of Education and Vocational Training, Sandra Victoria Valencia Ramos, who submitted the proposal. The publication occurs in section II of the gazette, “Authorities and Personnel,” within the section for appointments, situations, and incidents.

Legal basis and processing

The decree is supported by two specific precepts of the regional regulations:

• Articles 23.o) and 36.g) of Law 1/2002, of February 28, on the Government and Administration of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura.
• The prior deliberation of the Governing Council in its session of October 20, 2026.
• The formal proposal of the regional minister of Education and Vocational Training.
• The joint signature of the president and the regional minister, in accordance with the standard procedure for the cessation of high-ranking officials.

The formula used, with express gratitude for the services rendered, is standard in the cessation decrees of politically appointed positions within the regional administration.

A management position with activity until September

The General Secretariat is the second-level management body of the Department and signs a large part of the resolutions affecting the day-to-day operations of the educational system. Pozo Pitel signed, among others, the Resolution of September 3, 2026, which made public the composition of the Evaluation Commission for grants for the “Educalectura” and “Educamatex” programs in subsidized centers (reference 2026062291), and the Resolution of September 21, 2026, which opened the hearing process for the draft decree of prizes for the regional spelling contest (reference 2026062425).

The bulletin distinguishes this designation from that of Secretary General of Education, a position held by José Pedro Catalán Durán by virtue of Decree 83/2026, of May 5 (DOE no. 85, of May 6), and who appears as a signatory of agreements on dates immediately preceding this cessation. In any case, issue number 203 of the DOE does not include the appointment of a substitute to lead the General Secretariat of the Department.

Impact on the department managing the school year

The change occurs in the middle of the 2026/2027 academic year and at a time of intense regulatory activity in the Department, with calls for grants, evaluation committees, and draft decrees in process. The General Secretariat is the unit that channels the delegation of competencies and signing authority of the department, therefore the handover affects the ordinary management of teaching staff, centers, and educational programs. The decree does not alter the leadership of the Department nor the organic structure established by Decree 18/2026, of April 30, regarding the basic organic structure of the regional Administration.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, no. 203, of October 21, 2026, section II (Authorities and Personnel), page 1 (official reference: 2026040223).