This is the 643rd most frequent Catalan word.
públiques
"Public" (feminine plural form).
Here, 'públiques' functions as an adjective describing 'escoles' (schools), indicating that they are run by the government and open to the public.
Les escoles públiques són importants per a l'educació.
Public schools are important for education.
In this sentence, 'públiques' modifies 'biblioteques' (libraries), pointing out their public nature as accessible resources for everyone.
Els documents estan disponibles a les biblioteques públiques.
The documents are available at public libraries.
Here, 'públiques' acts as an adjective for 'iniciatives' (initiatives), referring to programs or actions conducted by governmental or societal institutions.