Antoni Vera: "I am happy to move forward with the opposition, through dialogue and negotiation"

PalmThe Minister of Education and Universities, Antoni Vera, justified bringing forward the teacher recruitment exams to May 9th and 10th, asserting that the measure was taken "through dialogue and negotiation." He explained this on Tuesday in the Balearic Parliament, in response to a question from Maria Ramon, a MÉS representative for Mallorca, who asked if he was satisfied with the change of dates. "I am pleased to have brought forward the exams thanks to dialogue. A process that began in January, when I met with the unions to explain our intention. Now there is indeed a Ministry that negotiates and seeks common ground," Vera stated.

The regional minister recalled that two options were offered to the workers' representatives: to bring the exams forward to May or to postpone them until October. "I regret that an agreement was not reached, but keeping the original dates was not an option. We want all students to have a teacher from the first day and for the teachers to become familiar with their workstations as soon as possible," he insisted.

Union and teacher discontent

Despite these explanations, a large number of the unions present at the sectoral bargaining table walked out of the negotiations upon learning of the decision and expressed their rejection. Ramon criticized the fact that the problem isn't just the advancement of the competitive examinations, but the way it was done: "Changing the date, why not? But it needs to be discussed in advance and in a planned manner. When hundreds of teachers perceive this as an imposition, something hasn't been done right," she emphasized. According to the pro-independence deputy, the early scheduling generates a feeling of "uncertainty, stress, and distrust" among teachers. "Governing isn't just about making decisions, but also about listening, anticipating the effects, and acting with sensitivity," she added. The Socialist deputy Amanda Fernández also questioned the criteria used to advance the examinations and stated that the measure demonstrates the Ministry's "inability" to properly manage the allocation of positions. "Nobody is asking for this, neither the educational community nor the teachers, who prefer that the competitive exams be held when there are no students in the schools," he argued. Vera, on the other hand, reiterated that the goal is for students to have a teacher from the first day and for teachers to become familiar with their schools as soon as possible. To this end, some procedures for substitute teachers are also expected to be expedited. According to Fernández, bringing the exams forward will mean that approximately 2,000 teachers—including candidates and members of examination boards—will be away from their posts for these two days.