The Balearic Islands have added 20,000 students in a decade, setting a new record for foreign students.

PalmThe Balearic Islands' education system has seen an increase of more than 20,000 students in the last decade, rising from 178,055 in the 2015-2016 academic year to 198,140 in 2024-2025, according to data included in the Education Yearbook, which features 28 presentations. The report, prepared by the Educational and Social Research and Training Group (GIFES) of the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) in collaboration with the Guillem Cifre de Colonya Foundation, highlights that public schools account for the majority of the student body: 127,445 students compared to 70,695 in private schools, a difference of 5%. The number of foreign students has also increased and set a new record. Over the same period, this figure has increased from 13.7% to 19%, figures above the national average.

This year's keynote address, by Professor Antoni Verger, analyzes educational zones as spaces for co-governance between schools and teacher collaboration. His proposal addresses inequalities and social and technological challenges, calls for stable structures, effective coordination, sufficient resources, and a shared commitment to educational co-responsibility. "The challenges facing schools are very complex: serving a wide diversity of students, welcoming newcomers, addressing academic issues, digitalization, and child poverty. The emphasis on school autonomy has led to isolation, especially in those working with vulnerable populations.

Educational zones create an intermediate governance unit between schools and the administration. This allows for: bringing the educational reality of schools closer to the Regional Ministry; assuming coordination and service tasks previously performed by schools, freeing them up to focus on direct student support. These zones correspond to neighborhoods or districts and incorporate not only schools but also other educational stakeholders who can contribute to their improvement. There is a strong emphasis on mentoring and providing psychopedagogical support to teachers and other professionals to help them implement more inclusive education. The report emphasizes the importance of building links and alliances between schools to share knowledge and innovative experiences. It also advocates strengthening teacher training and innovation, with active teacher participation and the promotion of ongoing collaboration.

The aforementioned increase in student numbers has been accompanied by an increase in the number of teachers, a fact that has lowered the average student-teacher ratio. Specifically, the 2024-2025 school year will have 4,967 more teachers than in 2015-2016, with ratios generally below the national average. Regarding grade repetition, the percentages for 2024-2025 remain similar to those of the previous year. The only notable increase is recorded in the sixth year of primary school (from 1.2% to 1.7%), while the largest decrease is in the third year of compulsory secondary education (from 7.9% to 7.3%). At all levels, males have the highest repetition rates, with private non-subsidized schools and Menorca having the lowest percentages.

Regarding promotion within compulsory education, the regional percentages remain aligned with the national average. Compulsory secondary education indicators show stability since the 2019-2020 academic year, a year marked by an upswing in promotions due to the pandemic. However, the compulsory secondary education completion rate in the Balearic Islands is slightly lower than the national average (87.5% compared to 87.9% in 2022-2023).

University system

The yearbook also includes an analysis of the university system, by Juan José Montaño. The University of the Balearic Islands has maintained relative stability in the total number of enrolled students, despite the demographic increase in young people, slightly reducing the relative weight of university students. The centers affiliated with the UIB show uneven performance: the ADEMA University School and the School of Hospitality have grown, while the University School of Tourism of the Island Council of Ibiza has experienced a decline that requires strategic reflection on its offering.

The report highlights a significant increase in teaching and technical and administrative staff, as well as an improvement in the student/teacher ratio, a key indicator of teaching quality. All this has occurred while the UIB maintains a stable position in international rankings, within the average for the Spanish university system. The job placement of graduates is another strong point: 83% are registered with Social Security four years after graduating, above the national average.