Students from centers adhering to the pilot plan for free choice of language obtain significantly lower results in Catalan compared to Spanish. This is reflected in the data from a report that the Ministry of Education has delivered to STEI, which had requested it within the framework of the legal action against the plan.

Students from schools adhering to the pilot plan for free choice of language obtain significantly lower results in Catalan compared to Spanish. This is reflected in the data from a report that the Ministry of Education has delivered to STEI, which had requested it in the context of the lawsuit against the plan. According to this data, the average score out of 100 in the fourth-grade Primary tests places Catalan at 38 points, compared to 58 points for Spanish, 20 points less. This is the initial evaluation carried out in October 2024 in the participating schools, as established by the resolution regulating the plan. Specifically, the results correspond to the 11 schools that joined in the 2024-2025 academic year, while this year there are already 20 affiliated schools.STEI considers that these figures demonstrate the limitations of the model promoted by the Government. The union recalls that the plan itself sets the objective for schools to "adopt measures to compensate for possible deficiencies in either of the two official languages".

The High Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands (TSJIB) has recognized the legitimacy of the STEI union to challenge the pilot program for free choice of language promoted by the Ministry of Education and allows the appeal to proceed. The STEI had filed an administrative appeal against this program, which allows schools to modify the language projects approved by the school councils, but the Government had initially argued that the union lacked standing to file the lawsuit. However, the TSJIB ruling recognizes the STEI's "collective interest," since the measure directly affects teachers affiliated with the union by modifying their teaching practices and the conditions established by the schools' language projects. With this decision, the court allows the legal proceedings to continue and gives the green light to the STEI's legal battle. The union believes the pilot program was imposed on the PP by Vox's demands and lacks the support of any entity in the education sector. Furthermore, it has reiterated its demand for the program's withdrawal and for the millions of euros allocated to its implementation to be used to address real problems in the Balearic Islands' education system, such as student-teacher ratios, infrastructure, and support for diversity. According to STEI, the TSJIB's decision is an important step in defending teachers' rights and ensuring that any changes to language projects are agreed upon and respect the needs of the educational community.

New linguistic controversy in the Balearic Islands.STEI The union has expressed its strong disagreement with the proposal from the Balearic Government's Department of Culture to update the equivalency of ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education) and Bachillerato (Upper Secondary Education) qualifications with official Catalan language certificates. The initiative plans to lower the minimum grade required to obtain a B2 level in Secondary Education and a C1 level in Bachillerato from 8 to 7. The union denounces that this measure is justified by the need to adapt to the new qualitative grading system, but considers that, in reality, it represents another concession by the Popular Party government to Vox's demands to "devalue and belittle" the Catalan language in the Balearic Islands. According to STEI, the decision contrasts with indicators that point to a progressive decline in the level of Catalan proficiency among students year after year.

The Ministry of Education and Universities has proposed allocating nearly five million euros annually until 2028 to pay the 2.9% salary increase owed to teachers in state-subsidized private schools, which was frozen in 2020 and 2021. The plan, presented this Tuesday at the Roundtable on State-Subsidized Private Education, anticipates paying 33% of the outstanding amount during the first half of 2026; another 33% in 2027; and the remaining 34% in 2028. According to the Ministry, the schedule could be brought forward if budget availability allows. In total, the measure would benefit approximately 5,000 teachers, including those already retired. However, the proposal has been met with harsh criticism from unions, who consider it a "disgrace" and a "lack of respect." The STEI union recalls that the previous directorate general, headed by Ismael Alonso, had promised to establish a payment schedule parallel to that of public education, allowing for the repayment of amounts corresponding to the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. "Delaying it until the 2nd, and the subsidized private schools included in the LODE (Organic Law on the Right to Education)," they denounce.

The STEI and USO unions held a demonstration this Tuesday in front of the Balearic Islands Parliament to demand improved working conditions and salaries for teachers in state-subsidized private schools. During the protest, participants demanded the reinstatement of the 2.9% salary increase already granted to public school teachers by court order, to recover what they were not paid in 2020 and 2021 by order of the government at the time. They also demanded equal rights and working conditions with those in the public sector. The demonstrators displayed banners and chanted slogans such as "Where is the 2.9%? Marga Prohens has forgotten us!" and "We are not second-class teachers!" They also shouted slogans like "Vera, listen: state-subsidized private schools aren't going under!" and "Equal pay now! Same obligations, same rights!" demanding an end to the disparities between teachers in state and state-subsidized private schools.

The STEI union has denounced the fact that "it is becoming increasingly difficult for teachers supervising Vocational Training internships to find companies to place their students with." The union points out that this situation affects secondary schools (IES), Vocational Training Centers (CIFP), and Adult Education Centers (CEPA) in the Balearic Islands, and that the situation has worsened with the new vocational training law. "The new vocational training law increases the time required for in-company training and mandates internships in the first and second years of intermediate and advanced vocational training cycles," the union notes. "We already warned that, given the small and medium-sized business sector we have in the Islands, this would be complicated and would ultimately lead to conflict, as is now evident," they add. According to STEI, the difficulty in finding companies is compounded by the fact that "public educational centers face many obstacles in signing internship agreements with private companies." Furthermore, they denounce that "teachers have seen a reduction in the number of hours they have to find companies for student internships, thus preventing them from completing their Vocational Training studies."