The PSIB begins a political offensive against the single school zone: "Free choice is a fallacy"

PalmThe PSIB (Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands) will present a motion at the next plenary session of the Council of Mallorca against the implementation of single school zones in most municipalities of the Balearic Islands, a measure the Department of Education intends to promote starting next school year. The Socialists believe this measure violates the principle of school proximity, encourages travel by private vehicle, and exacerbates social and educational segregation. The PSIB denounces the proposal from the PP (People's Party) and Vox government, arguing that it is based on a false notion of freedom of choice and ignores both the position of the Mallorca School Council—which has already rejected it—and the current legal framework regarding education and sustainable mobility. Furthermore, the party will promote similar motions in all institutions where it has representation. "It is a fallacy to speak of freedom of choice without equity," stated Socialist deputy and Secretary General of the Socialists of Mallorca, Amanda Fernández, who argued that education "is the ultimate social elevator" and warned that the Government's policies "make equality of..." According to Fernández, the single zone eliminates the real weight of the proximity criterion, which until now allowed families to prioritize schooling near their homes or workplaces, facilitating work-life balance and social cohesion in neighborhoods. With the new system, he explained, living in any neighborhood in Palma gives the same score in the admissions process, which renders educational planning meaningless. "If everyone now has 5.5 points, the half-point for each former student becomes enormously significant," he warned, also pointing out that this criterion benefits families with greater mobility. "Free choice is a fallacy," he insisted.

Mobility problems

The Socialists also warn that the single zone will have direct effects on families' daily mobility. According to the PSIB (Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands), the new model will force many families to cross the municipality every day to take their children to school, especially to Palma, which will increase private vehicle use during peak hours and hinder children's independence. The loss of proximity, they point out, will make it impossible for many students to walk to school alone or use safe routes to school, reinforcing a dependence on cars that contradicts sustainable mobility policies.

"The Government is acting against expert advice and making decisions that lead to travel by private vehicle, only feasible for those who own one," denounced Sofía Alonso, deputy spokesperson for the PSIB in the Consell de Mallorca (Island Council of Mallorca), who warned that this model particularly harms families without cars or with rigid work schedules. "This goes against European directives," he added, also noting that European, national, and regional regulations aim to reduce motorized travel and promote local schooling. Another effect that the PSIB considers most serious is the increase in social and educational segregation. Fernández warned that the single zone will allow "some schools to choose which students they want," while other schools will concentrate vulnerable students. "All policies are aimed at segregation by social class," he asserted, also warning of the risk of ghettoization in schools.

In this regard, the island councilor and PSIB representative on the Mallorca School Council, Joan Ferrer, explained that the motion they will present defends "education as a tool for equity, to prevent the segregation of schools, respect school proximity, and guarantee student autonomy." Ferrer emphasized that the Mallorca School Council has already expressed its rejection of the single school zone and regretted that the Balearic Government has not taken its position into account. According to Ferrer, the change in model cannot be based on a political decision made in an office, but should be supported by technical reports on urban planning, social issues, education, geography, and demographics. "This is not just Vera's or Prohens's opinion," he stressed, adding that the LOMLOE (Organic Law for the Modification of the Organic Law on Education), the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, the LEIB (Balearic Islands Education Law), and various European directives establish the need to prevent segregation and guarantee access to basic services from nearby areas. The PSIB has also demanded respect for the role of the educational community and the opinions of unions, teachers, and families, who have positioned themselves against the single zone. "Under normal circumstances, the position of the Mallorca School Council should be listened to," stated Ferrer, adding that the Government has chosen to ignore a key participatory body in the education system. The Socialists have announced that they will take their opposition to the single zone to Parliament, the island councils, and the town halls, and have demanded that the Ministry of Education withdraw a proposal that, they claim, "always benefits the same people" and dismantles an educational model based on proximity, equity, and rights.