Mallorca parents want school cafeterias open for lunch

On Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands, parents want secondary school pupils to be able to eat lunch in school cafeterias. Parent groups from Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza put the proposal to Balearic education minister Antoni Vera in a statement on 8 October 2026. They also raised concerns about specialist staff, the cost of learning materials and cooling in schools.

A place to eat at school

The groups want secondary school cafeterias to serve as lunchtime dining spaces. They point out that pupils at some other types of school can already eat on site. They also want schools to follow and check healthy-eating rules more closely, and to shape dining-room staff training around the needs identified by schools and families.

Staff and support

The parents say schools need more than enough staff: they need people with the right skills. They are worried about hard-to-fill posts and the shortage of specially trained support workers. According to the groups, Vera agreed to consider introducing personal assistants to help in specific cases involving pupils with special educational needs. The role has not yet been developed in the Balearic Islands.

The groups are disappointed that work has not begun on a decree intended to protect the rights of those pupils. They also want support programmes strengthened and extended to vocational education.

Books and cooling

Books, devices and digital licences still put pressure on family budgets, the groups say. They want a committee to help secure fair prices and stronger book-reuse schemes.

They also say the Balearic government’s school cooling plan does not address urgent needs. They want clear rules for deciding which schools come first, published schedules and a response for schools facing the most serious problems.

Topics: Education

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com