The School Council of Mallorca confronts the Education Ministry and rejects the single school zone

PalmThe plenary session of the Mallorca School Council has approved an alternative report rejecting the proposal from the Ministry of Education and Universities to modify school zoning starting in the 2026-2027 academic year. The document opposes the elimination of most current school zones—which would turn municipalities into single zones—and demands the reinstatement of the zoning in effect for the 2025-2026 academic year in all municipalities and that of the 2023-2024 academic year in the case of Palma. The report, approved due to disagreement with the document prepared by the rapporteur of the main report, warns that the government's proposal not only jeopardizes the neighborhood school model but also creates inconsistencies and direct harm to students and families. According to the School Council, the new zoning could negatively affect both the equity of the education system and students' academic success.

One of the central points of contention is the potential violation of Article 84 of Organic Law 2/2006 on Education, which establishes proximity as the priority criterion in admissions processes when there are more applications than available places. The Council points out that school zones do not limit the right to choose a school, but rather guarantee that any student can access a school close to their home. The creation of single zones in geographically large municipalities, the report warns, renders this criterion meaningless, since all students would receive the same score regardless of the actual distance to the school.

In favor of the most powerful

The document also questions whether the measure strengthens freedom of school choice. According to the School Council, unregulated choice primarily benefits families with greater resources and the ability to travel, which could increase school segregation. Added to this is the impact of other criteria, such as the point awarded for having a parent who is a former student, something that has already prompted a legal challenge after being reinstated by the current Regional Ministry of Education. Furthermore, the Council warns that the proposed zoning will increase the number of students forced to travel outside their neighborhoods to get to school, often relying on public transport that is not always coordinated with school schedules. This situation, the report points out, could negatively affect academic performance and particularly impact students with fewer opportunities. The report defends the need to promote neighborhood schooling that allows students to walk or cycle to school, not only for pedagogical reasons, but also for health, community ties, and sustainability, in line with the objectives of Law 9/2025 on sustainable mobility. The document concludes with an open question about the real beneficiaries of creating single school zones and criticizes the Ministry of Education for having opted for this political decision, ignoring, according to the Island Council, arguments of equity, technical considerations, and pedagogical factors. The report is signed by various entities with representation on the School Council of Mallorca, including the 0-3 Assembly Association, FAPA Mallorca, the unions STEI, SIAU, and UOB, as well as representatives from the group of municipalities and the Island Council of Mallorca.