Vera condemns the homophobic attack on the Andratx teacher: "We have a lot of work to do"

PalmaThe Minister of Education, Antoni Vera, has condemned the‘homophobic attack’ on a teacher from IES Baltasar Porcel in Andratx that ARA Balears exclusively reported. “We are aware of the problems that are arising at the teaching level, and that is why we have launched a 360 wellbeing plan,” he explained. “We will work on teacher wellbeing. We are a very large group, with diverse problems. We must strengthen the role of the teacher. If the Ministry and Congress finalize a teacher statute, we must also take steps in this direction.”

Vera accepted that measures must be taken to curb the increase in hate crimes committed by young people. “We have a lot of work to do at the student level. We have counselors, psychopedagogues, and tutors, as well as specific subjects, but there is still a long way to go. There are class hours in which we must continue to work on coexistence, and we are considering promoting specific training for secondary and vocational training students for next year.”

Students from two centers

The assault that triggered these measures consisted of the creation of a fake Google Classroom account by 4th year ESO students, with the participation of students from CC Ramon Llull, from which sexual images and insults with direct reference to the teacher were disseminated. The events became public on a Wednesday, and that same afternoon the director of the center filed a complaint with the Civil Guard. The next day an emergency faculty meeting was convened and the affected teacher also formalized his complaint. The investigation remains open.

The faculty meeting was photographed dressed in black as a sign of support for the teacher, while some suspicious students mocked the situation. In a manifesto, the faculty meeting denounces that this attack is part of a dynamic of “habitu­al lack of respect and verbal aggression” towards teachers and that these behaviors “erode the basic principles of coexistence”. The Department of Educational Inspection of the Ministry has already activated the corresponding protocols and an inspector has traveled to the center. The unions have condemned the assault.