They were called Poetry, Theater, and Novel Workshops, held in three successive years: 1966, 1967, and 1968. These were weekly lecture series in Palma, featuring leading figures from both Mallorca and abroad. They became meeting places for the opposition to Franco's regime, to the point that some events ended with police arrests. Sixty years later, we remember this cultural expression, but also a demonstration of resistance to the dictatorship.

The first quarter of the 21st century has left a profound mark on the Balearic education system. Accelerated demographic changes, growing inequalities, linguistic debates, new educational opportunities, and a university that has evolved in size and scientific ambition have shaped a very different scenario from that of the beginning of the millennium. This report looks back to understand the present and project into the future.

"Black whore," "go back to your country," "you're my slave," "you're burned out"... these are some of the verbal attacks that Nana, Astou, and Mariama, third-year secondary school students, regularly hear from their classmates. The families of these three young women came to Mallorca from Senegal and Mali, and not a day goes by without someone reminding them of their foreign origins. "Being looked down upon because of the color of my skin makes me feel terrible," says Astou, while her friends nod in agreement. The three say they often protest the racism they endure and lament that, on many occasions, "the teachers don't pay any attention." "It's the same every year, and it's not our fault," Mariama asserts, and Nana proudly adds that, sometimes, protesting does work: "Last year, a classmate was suspended for a few days because he called me 'black.'" However, even the perception of students who respond to the aggression is problematic. “A young person of color is labeled as violent at the first sign of resistance, and that doesn’t happen to a young white person,” says Aliou, a first-year high school student of Senegalese and Venezuelan descent. Aliou asserts that racism “has multiplied among young people,” although outside of school, without the supervision of the teaching staff, “it’s harsher and more direct.” “The far right has a discourse that appeals to many classmates, and they say it without any problem,” he adds. This young man also points out that more could be done in schools and emphasizes the importance of individual and social context in such a complex issue: “White people who have never had problems often don’t notice certain behaviors,” he says.

Reducing student-teacher ratios is a long-standing demand of the educational community and is considered a key tool for addressing the increase in child vulnerability in recent years. According to sources consulted, the maximum ratios established by regulations—22 in preschool, 25 in primary school, 30 in secondary school, and 35 in high school—already make it difficult to provide adequate support to all children, given the socioeconomic and sociocultural conditions in the Balearic Islands. However, some schools exceed these figures. In fact, the Ministry of Education has increased the number of teachers in 84 public schools that have exceeded the maximum thresholds in primary school classes, approximately 37.83% of the total, and in 22 that have done the same in preschool. They have been allowed to "lower ratios to certain levels." It's important to remember that in the Balearic Islands there are designated Priority Attention Centers (CAPs), which, due to extreme vulnerability according to the Socioeconomic and Cultural Index (ISEC) scale, receive additional resources and have reduced student-teacher ratios of between 10% and 20%. According to the list published by the Regional Ministry of Education in May, this year there are eight primary schools, eleven secondary schools, four CEIPIESOs (primary and secondary schools), the Es Canyar Primary School, and the Simó Ballester CEIPIEEM (primary and secondary schools). Thirteen private schools also hold CAP designation.