An analysis of the treatment of substantive equality in the current Spanish educational curriculum

Abstract

The enactment of the LOMLOE (2020) and its subsequent regulatory development through the Royal Decrees of 2022 has raised questions regarding the actual impact of these reforms on the promotion of gender equality within the Spanish educational system. This study examines whether the new legislation represents a genuine step forward towards substantive equality, or whether it merely constitutes a formal advance with limited practical effect. A qualitative documentary analysis was employed, focusing on Royal Decrees 95/2022, 157/2022, 217/2022 and 243/2022, which regulate the minimum curricula for Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, Compulsory Secondary Education, and the Baccalaureate. An analytical matrix was developed to identify and categorise both explicit and implicit references to gender equality, supplemented by a review of scholarly literature on coeducation and the hidden gender curriculum. The main findings revealed a progressive incorporation of gender equality across the different educational stages, beginning with a preventive approach in Early Childhood and culminating in a comprehensive treatment at the Baccalaureate level. The regulations introduce innovative concepts such as substantive equality, gender mainstreaming, affective-sexual education, and the recognition of diversity, thereby positioning Spain at the forefront of European legislative developments. Consequently, the new legislation constitutes a significant normative advance, establishing an ambitious curricular framework for coeducation. Nevertheless, its effectiveness will ultimately depend on practical implementation, teacher training, and the overcoming of cultural resistances. It is therefore recommended that specific evaluation systems be developed and that adequate resources be secured in order to achieve a genuine transformation of educational practices.