Pepita Costa: "The Ministry of Education makes policy without listening to the educational community"

PalmPepita Costa (Ibiza, 1967) has been president of the Balearic Islands School Council since June 2021. Her career is linked to defending families' rights and promoting quality public education. Since assuming the presidency, the advisory body has spoken out against controversial measures, such as the creation of single school zones in municipalities and the Linguistic Segregation Plan.

The single school zone was approved despite warnings from the School Council about the risk of segregation. What real impact do you think this decision will have on equal opportunities?

— It doesn't stem from a demand from the educational community and ignores the real needs of the system. The Regional Ministry has gone against what we, as families and the School Council, advocate: educational policies must be developed on the ground. Without pedagogical evidence, the single-zone system undervalues ​​local schools and could displace students based on discriminatory criteria, such as points awarded for being children of alumni.

It is known that some publicly funded schools select their students. How can we guarantee equitable distribution?

— It is clear that promoting a single school zone makes competition unfair. Charter schools have more leeway to select their students and to create a more homogeneous socioeconomic profile. The School Enrollment Decree speaks of balanced enrollment for students with special educational needs (SEN), including those with sociolinguistic backgrounds. Eliminating proximity zones undermines universal and equitable access to public education, leading to a model of school segregation. This segregation is not always visible at first, because it is disguised under the idea of ​​freedom of school choice championed by the Regional Ministry of Education.

The resources allocated to private schools are increasing, while public schools are losing students. What message does this send to society and families?

— The decline of public schools is not due to any natural cause. It is the consequence of a series of political decisions that favor private schools for economic and ideological reasons. When the government reduces investment in public schools, maintains outdated infrastructure, or fails to lower student-teacher ratios, it weakens the public system. This creates the perception that public schools are not functioning well. This self-serving narrative ultimately pushes many families toward private and charter schools, while unfairly attacking public schools.

How do you assess the fact that the public school system primarily serves the most vulnerable students? Is this sustainable in the long term?

— For the past couple of years, school placement criteria have reserved places for students with special educational needs (SEN) in both public and state-subsidized private schools. However, these criteria don't take into account the "ongoing enrollment," which is the enrollment generated during the school year. It is precisely this "ongoing enrollment" that creates the most problems. Students with "ongoing enrollment" are placed in schools with available vacancies. And which schools have vacancies? Those with lower demand. This can lead to an excessive concentration of SEN students in some schools. A high concentration shouldn't be a problem if these schools had the necessary resources, but often they don't. The Education Inspectorate must ensure that all schools reserve places. We encourage families to report any unfair situations they encounter to the Inspectorate, which must do its job.

The difficulty in filling teaching positions has become chronic and particularly affects your island. Whose responsibility is it that so few people want to work in the Pitiusas Islands?

— The housing problem for teachers in Ibiza is a long-standing one. For years, there has been poor planning and overly permissive legislation, allowing housing to become a business. This has driven up rents while salaries haven't kept pace, impoverishing the community. Many teachers struggle to find housing: they find apartments in November only to be evicted in May due to the tourist season. Action is needed to combat tourist accommodation, and political decisions must be made about the type of housing to build—luxury or affordable—considering the needs of citizens, not just economic interests.

Do you think society is aware of what it would mean to be without teachers?

— It's very complicated. We realize it, but when greed comes into play, everything becomes distorted. Regulations must guarantee coexistence and just societies. We can't live thinking only that "as long as I'm okay, nothing else matters." Without a change in mentality, there won't be enough teachers or doctors. It's sad to see how the middle class has been disappearing: everything is getting more expensive, there's no homeownership, and this is leading us toward a much more unequal society.

Do you believe that the language policy of the Conselleria guarantees a real command of Catalan by all students?

— The segregation plan is incompatible with the principle of social cohesion because it introduces mechanisms that undermine equal opportunities and coexistence within the education system. It stems from a false notion of choice, since not all families have the same ability to choose. This choice ultimately reflects and reinforces pre-existing inequalities, with Spanish-speaking schools and Catalan-speaking schools. This creates a two-tiered student body and negatively impacts social cohesion. School should be the place where students learn to love the culture and language of the region where they live. Pedagogical experience demonstrates that immersion models promote multilingualism without affecting academic performance. The pilot language program responds to a market logic, based on what "people want," but we have an education law, a Statute of Autonomy, and European legislation protecting minority languages, all of which this plan violates.

Has the Minimum Standards Decree become obsolete?

— There is a lack of evaluation and a lack of results. The Social Council for Language requested that students in the second and fourth years of secondary school be evaluated to verify compliance with the law. Objective monitoring and evaluation are essential. In Catalonia, there is greater fluency in language teaching. Here, resources are lacking, and this is a political decision. If we want to nurture the language, we must invest in it: reception programs, linguistic support, etc. Because it is often the most vulnerable students who face the greatest difficulties. More funding is needed to strengthen the Balearic Islands' education system and reach 6% of GDP. We must correct a long-standing structural underfunding.

How do you assess the arrival of private universities in the Balearic Islands?

— The University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) has gained considerable importance over the years and must be adequately funded. The language also needs to be strengthened, as the necessary work isn't always being done. In a capitalist system, if a private university comes in, it's because it sees a business opportunity. It's a business that wants to make money. The government must decide whether it wants to defend a public university for all or whether, in some way, it will end up outsourcing this function. When private universities enter the market, many students will transfer there, and the public university will suffer. It must be clear that the public university is not just a service: it's a democratic pillar.

The School Council reviews all the documentation from the Regional Ministry of Education, but its reports are not binding. Is it taken into account?

— Many advisors perceive that the regulatory process is carried out too quickly and without prior dialogue. This prevents the development of broadly agreed-upon regulations, even though such consensus is often possible. It is essential to have the support of the majority: teachers, administrators, families, and students. If you don't take them into account, you can legislate, but you will do so with a system that is rejected and has no guarantee of success. If you implement a program without the support of those who are supposed to apply it, how viable is it?

Education demonstrates willingness to reach consensus texts?

— The Regional Ministry is abusing the emergency procedure and superficially skimming over the participation forums of the educational community, without giving them enough time to review regulations, make contributions, or establish a meaningful dialogue. These forums are convened with only one day's notice, which is not ideal. The Regional Ministry is making educational policy without listening to the educational community, and that's a problem. Every party has its ideological line, but governing means listening to the citizens. I believe in a participatory democracy that prevents disengagement and fosters everyone's involvement. Right now, the feeling is that there is no openness. Communication and the channels for participation need significant improvement.