Education will open files to the subsidized nursery schools that breach the regulations

PalmaThe Department of Education will open proceedings against privately managed (charter) nursery schools that have breached regulations. This was announced this Wednesday by the Minister, Antoni Vera, during the Government control session in Parliament, in response to questions from the opposition regarding the incidents reported by the workers of the 0-3 Network during the summer months. Vera differentiated between the situations detected during the summer and those that have occurred with the start of the school year. As he explained, during the summer period the Department does not have the capacity to intervene because it does not correspond to the charter hours. "In the summer we have no way to intervene," he assured.

On the other hand, the minister stated that during September "certain incidents" were detected in which the Educational Inspection can indeed act and that, in fact, it has already done so. "It has done so, with the law in hand," defended Vera. In these cases, he announced that the department will open files when breaches of the regulations are confirmed. The minister's explanations were questioned by the socialist deputy Amanda Fernández, who accused him of "lying" and argued that the regulations governing the ratios of nursery schools are applicable throughout the year, regardless of whether it is the school term or the summer.

"There is a regulation that says how many students can be in a classroom, whether it is summer, winter, or whenever it may be," replied Fernández. The socialist thus questioned the Ministry's argument that during the summer months it could not act on the incidents reported by the workers.

Vera defends the coexistence between public and state-subsidized private schools

The debate over preschools has coincided with another discussion regarding the educational model defended by the Government. Vera has claimed that public education "is better than ever" and has asserted that the charter school network has "recovered the dignity that was taken from it during the previous legislature." Faced with criticism from Socialist Álex Pitaluga, who accused the Executive of favoring private charter education "to the detriment" of the public one, the minister has defended the coexistence of both models.

Vera has opted for "coexistence" between public and charter schools "with equal dignity" and has remarked that the two models are not incompatible. "They are not mutually exclusive," he argued. The head of Education also assured that the Government defends "with actions and the necessary resources a quality public education." Pitaluga, for his part, has particularly questioned the extension of educational charter agreements to ten years. According to the Socialist deputy, this decision could end up causing a decrease in the public network and an increase in the charter network.

The plenary session validates the improvement of working conditions for 0-3 year-old childcare workers

In parallel, this Wednesday's plenary session ratified the decree law to improve the working conditions of professionals in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education. The regulation provides, among other measures, for the salary equalization of educators in non-integrated charter nursery schools with that of workers in other centers. It was passed with the favorable votes of the PP, Vox, and the non-attached deputies, while the PSIB, Més per Menorca, and Unides Podem voted against it, and MÉS per Mallorca abstained. The Chamber also unanimously ratified the decree law that prohibits the sale of energy drinks to minors under 18 years of age, and provides for fines of between 6,000 and 60,000 euros. The Minister of Health, Manuela García, highlighted that the increase in the consumption of these products among minors is "worrying".