Mallorca schools get 149 temporary classrooms

Mallorca schools begin the new term on Thursday with 149 temporary classrooms in place while building work continues. Across the Balearics, about 159,000 pupils are due back — around 2,000 fewer than last year — taught by 19,000 teachers. Education and Universities Minister Antoni Vera set out the figures in Palma on Monday.

The temporary classrooms are modular units used to keep lessons running while schools are built, extended or refurbished. There will be 187 across the islands: 149 in Mallorca, 23 in Eivissa, eight in Formentera and seven in Menorca.

Extensions at IES Sant Marçal and IES Ses Estacions in Palma are due to open this term. A new vocational training centre, CIFP, will also begin operating in Ciutadella. Work is continuing at schools in Algaida, Andratx, Capdepera, Es Mercadal and Santa Eulària.

Projects now being carried out by the Institute for Educational Infrastructure, Ibisec, total more than 71 million euros. Plans being drawn up, including projects in Alcúdia, Artà and Consell, have a budget of more than 68 million euros.

Nearly all teaching posts filled

About 14,400 teachers will work in state schools and around 4,600 in state-subsidised private schools. Earlier recruitment and the allocation of temporary posts have filled 99% of vacancies.

Just 27 posts remain: ten in Mallorca, 16 in Eivissa and one in Menorca. The Eivissa vacancies are particularly in Catalan and will be offered to recent graduates. If they cannot be filled, they will be converted into broader posts for the next selection process.

Class sizes are generally below the legal maximum, with only 45 of 4,800 groups above the limit. Primary schools average 20.61 pupils per class and secondary schools 23.62.

School meals reach every public primary school

All 243 public nursery and primary schools in the Balearics are set to offer a school-meal service during this academic year. The government adapted kitchens at 19 schools over the summer.

About 17,400 pupils could use the service. School-meal support is worth 10 million euros this year. Free publicly funded places for children aged up to three have risen by 1,300 to about 15,400.

Topics: Education · Culture · Politics · Palma · Algaida · Andratx · Capdepera · Alcúdia · Artà · Consell

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com