The education crisis for families in Ferreries who refuse to send their children to religious school.

PalmFamilies in Ferreries who wanted to enroll their children in the public school (CEIP Castillo de Santa Águeda), but who, due to a lack of places, were referred by the Ministry of Education to the subsidized religious school (CC San Francisco de Asís), are not giving up. Only six out of 11 (54%) have agreed to accept the allocated place, while the rest will wait until September to see if they find a more suitable educational alternative. Sources close to the families affected by the decision assure that, of those who did attend the subsidized religious school, some would accept a change of school if offered.

CEIP Castillo de Santa Águeda stood by the families from the very beginning. The school received 33 applications for three years (4th grade of Preschool), but it is a single-line school, and the maximum enrollment for this year is 22 students. The school offered to create a new classroom to meet the demand, but the regional government rejected it.

In a message on social media, the Santa Águeda Castle expressed its opinion. "We are concerned and saddened, because no child in our town should be left out of the public school their families have chosen," it explained. "We have informed the Regional Ministry that, with our facilities, we are willing to accommodate these 11 children. Because public school belongs to everyone. Educating is an act of responsibility, but also of hope and community," it added.

To understand what happened, it must be kept in mind that the Sant Francesc de Ferreries CC is a single-line school. If it can accommodate the 11 students who wanted to attend the public school, it is because it only received nine first-choice applications, something that, according to regulations, would have jeopardized the maintenance of the line's charter. In fact, just before the change of government—in July 2023—the Regional Ministry of Education of the Pact had announced that if certain charter schools did not fill the lines with a minimum number of children, they would have to close them. To prevent this from happening, the 4th grade ratio was reduced to 22 students, making it easier to achieve them.

According to a former senior education official, the regulations are clear: "State-funded schools are required to maintain a minimum ratio no lower than the average for public schools in the area or municipality. If it's lower, the subsidy can be withdrawn, provided that the enrollment of all students can be guaranteed among the other public and state-funded schools in the area," he asserts. "The minimum ratio is a basic state regulation, and forcing people to attend a religious school when they don't want to is a bit harsh," he opines.

Closing public lines

In parallel to the events in Ferreries, the "La pública no se tocar" (The Public No Se Tocado) platform, which encompasses various organizations, associations, and centers, has denounced the closure of public school classrooms. According to a statement, the schools affected by the three-year closures include Marian Aguiló Primary School, Son Rullán Primary School, and Es Molinar Primary School (Palma); Porta des Moll Primary School (Alcudia); Climent Serra i Servera Primary School (Porreres); Duran i Extrany Primary School (Llubí); Galatzó Primary School (Capdellà); Piedra Viva Primary School (Binissalem); and Sa Blanca Dona Primary School (Ibiza). We can recall a statement made by the Minister of Education, Antoni Vera, during an appearance before a parliamentary committee: "We are not going to create public places where there are privately-funded places, and we are not going to create privately-funded places where there are public places."

On the other hand, a plan to reduce ratios is pending, a long-standing request from the education community that was reflected in the Education Framework Agreement between the unions and the Ministry of Education's left-wing Pact. One of the proposed solutions is that, instead of closing classes, if, for example, there are two classes in the fourth year of Preschool and 25 requests, 13 students should be placed in one classroom and 12 in the other. All professionals agree that lower ratios improve their work. And according to sources consulted over time, the impact on achieving pedagogical objectives is immediate.