Education cuts public teacher training while promoting private training.

PalmThe Balearic Ministry of Education is proposing a profound restructuring of the Teacher Training Centers (CEPs) system in Mallorca, which will be transformed from four independent centers – Palma, Inca, Manacor, and Calvià – into a single, centralized CEP for the entire island, according to the draft order obtained by ARA Baleares. Its current locations will be reduced to branch offices. In practice, the measure dismantles a model that has been in place for decades and has raised serious concerns among unions and teachers, who warn of a loss of accessibility, personalized attention, and quality in ongoing teacher training. Meanwhile, the San Cayetano School and the San Pablo CEU University Foundation have announced the creation of a new Higher Teacher Training Institute in Mallorca, offering continuing education and professional development programs for teachers, academically validated by the CEU San Pablo University. The announcement is part of CEU's expansion in the Balearic Islands, with the launch of the Beato Luís Belda university center, a project that has been surrounded by controversy due to its authorization process. Thus, while the Catalan Ministry of Education aims to reduce and centralize the public teacher training structure, the private sector is gaining ground in a key area of ​​the education system.

Sources from the STEI union warn that the new CEP model responds primarily to cost-saving criteria, but with a very significant impact on the service's operation. According to the union (and also internal sources within the Ministry of Education and CEP staff), the restructuring will involve the elimination of director positions and a reduction in the number of advisors, from 26 to 19 in Mallorca. This will mean, the union says, that each advisor will have to attend to an average of 27 schools, whereas until now they managed between 18 and 19. In the case of Inca, they warn that only three advisors would have to cover 119 schools, a figure they consider "absolutely unfeasible." For its part, the Ministry of Education maintains that the new structure does not imply "under any circumstances" the disappearance of the CEP in Calvià, Inca, or Manacor. "These centers will continue to operate normally, as branch offices of the CEP Mallorca, maintaining their teams of advisors, training course schedules, regular services, and support for teachers within their territorial area," he explains. He does not specify the number of advisors or whether it will increase, decrease, or remain the same, but indicates that advisory services adapted to current needs will be created, such as those for artificial intelligence and mental health. The position of director of the CEPs in Calvià, Inca, and Manacor will be eliminated and replaced by that of delegate.

Teacher training, essential

Teacher Training Centers (CEPs) have historically been a key tool for adapting teacher training to the needs of each region. They have promoted programs for pedagogical innovation, digitalization, and personalized training in schools, with advisors visiting institutes and primary schools to identify real needs and design proposals jointly with the management teams. "A lot of training is tailored to each school, and that will be lost," warn sources from the STEI teachers' union, who believe that centralization will favor a more bureaucratic model, one that is out of touch with the realities of education.

One of the aspects that most concerns the union is the shift in the training model. They denounce the fact that the reduction in human and structural resources will inevitably lead to a growing emphasis on online and distance learning, to the detriment of in-person training. "It's a dehumanized form of training that eliminates contact between teachers from different schools, networking, and the exchange of experiences," the union points out. In their view, this trend could increase teacher alienation and reduce the real impact of training in the classroom. The STEI also focuses on the precarious financial situation in which, they indicate, the Teacher Training Centers (CEPs) already operate. Currently, they function thanks to surplus funds from previous years, which are expected to run out this year. Fixed budgets cover basic expenses such as cleaning, water, and electricity, while the rest of the training activity is financed with these surplus funds or one-off agreements with external entities. "Every time there are cuts, the CEPs are among the first to suffer," STEI warns. In this context, the union warns that if the Regional Ministry of Education does not guarantee a sufficient public offering, schools and teachers will be forced to resort to private training to meet the training requirements, with the risk of ultimately bearing the cost out of their own pockets. This is where the new commitment to teacher training at CEU San Pablo and Sant Gaietà comes into play (and at the perfect time).

Appointments by decree, still fresh in our minds

This is not the first time that the Ministry's decisions regarding Teacher Training Centers (CEPs) have generated controversy. In 2024, the Government already provoked strong discontent by handpicking the directors of the CEPs in Palma, Inca, and Manacor, without holding the public merit-based competition that had been the norm until then. That decision led to the resignation of some advisors and was particularly criticized because, in Menorca and Ibiza, the standard procedure was followed.

STEI concludes that the restructuring not only represents a disguised cut to the teacher training system, but also marks a clear shift towards a more centralized, digitized model with lower educational quality. "The savings are minimal, but the pedagogical cost is enormous," they summarize, warning that the resulting offerings will not be able to meet the real demand for teacher training in Mallorca.