Balearic teacher shortage: some lists run dry

Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands face a teacher shortage: for the first time, lists of temporary teachers are empty in some subjects. Teachers’ union ANPE raised the alarm in Palma on 4 October, ahead of World Teachers’ Day on Monday, 5 October. It wants measures to bring teachers to the islands and persuade them to stay.

Housing costs make posts harder to fill

ANPE says some teaching posts and subjects are already difficult to fill. Island life, expensive housing and the cost of living make the problem worse. Teachers now learn earlier where they will be posted, giving them more time to arrange a move and find a home. But the union says more needs to be done.

Union calls for better conditions

A framework agreement has grown from an initial 50 million to 125 million euros, helping restore teachers’ rights and improve working conditions, ANPE says. It now wants enough permanent staff, smaller classes, more support and less paperwork, so teachers have more time with pupils. It is also seeking full bonus payments and measures to offset the extra cost of working on the islands.

ANPE’s Balearic president, Víctor Villatoro, says teaching must be better recognised and paid well enough to attract people and keep them in the profession. Praise alone, the union argues, will not fill the gaps.

Topics: Jobs & labour · Housing · Education

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com