The Canary Islands presents the first Strategic Plan for Education from 0 to 3 years

The Strategic Plan for Education for the age group from 0 to 3 years old plans to create 3,849 places in the next three courses

The Government of the Canary Islands will create 3,879 places from 0 to 3 years in the next three courses schools, so that for the 2024/25 academic year the Archipelago will have 9,369 public places. This was indicated today Monday by the president of the Canary Islands, Angel Victor Torrestogether with the Minister of Education, Universities, Culture and Sports, Manuela of Arms.

The head of the Executive stressed that this is one of the primary commitments of your Government and one of the objectives included in the Canary Islands Agenda 2030. Ángel Víctor Torres highlighted the “enormous importance of this plan for family reconciliation and social justice”.

He also recalled that what has existed until now are only the places of the municipalities and aid to families that use private nursery schools, so “with this plan, for the first time there will be free public places in the Canary Islands from 0 to 3 years in Infant and Primary schools and in Compulsory Education”, he remarked.

Compensator of inequalities

For the Government, according to a statement, it is a compensatory measure for the effects of the inequalities of origin of the students, which constitutes a true engine of fairnessin addition to favoring the detection of learning difficulties and early attention, which translates into better results in their academic future and contributes to reconciling work and family.

Torres also highlighted that since the beginning of the legislature this government team has doubled aid for promoting early schooling. Thus, in the 2019 budgets, 4.5 million euros were allocated to this concept, while in 2022, 9.2 million were allocated for this purpose. Likewise, in June 2019 there were 4,620 public places in 66 municipal nursery schools, and in March 2022 the islands reached 5,859 in 82 municipal nursery schools, figures that reflect an increase of 1,239 places and 16 centers.

This instrument has as its main objective promote schooling in this age group in the archipelago with accessible, affordable, inclusive and quality public places that will be created both in Municipal Nursery Schools and in centers dependent on the Ministry of Education -Infant and Primary Education Centers (CEIP) and Compulsory Education Centers (CEO)- in accordance with the regulations that regulate the First Cycle of Infant Education.

Pilot experience in 34 CEIP and CEO

Thus, 34 CEIP and CEO will implement as a pilot experience since this September, on the one hand, the third year of the first cycle of Infants (31 centers), to which must be added those that incorporate mixed classrooms for the second and third years (three centers). These are distributed in 15 in Tenerife, seven in Gran Canaria; four in Lanzarote, three in Fuerteventura and two on the island of La Palma. The next school period there will be three mixed classrooms located between Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. In total, the places offered in the thirty centers will be 597, a figure that will increase each year.

Two strategic objectives of the plan

During her speech, the person in charge of the area, Manuela de Armas, explained that said plan includes of major strategic goals: promote the schooling of Canarian boys and girls under three years of age until the Canary Islands have a net schooling rate of 40% in the 2024/25 academic year; as well as improving quality, equity and inclusion in the First Cycle of Early Childhood Education to favor the school success of Canarian students.

To achieve the first of these goals, the first cycle of the Infant stage will be implemented in the centers that depend on the Ministry for schooling. For this reason, the creation of 597 places is expected in the 2022/23 academic year; 597 in the course 23/24, and 658 in the 24/25.

Thus, priority will be given, for each school year, to the creation of classrooms for 2-year-old students and mixed classrooms for 1- and 2-year-olds in the aforementioned centers prioritizing the municipalities where there is no offer of authorized places, neither public nor private, in which there is no public offer, and in which the existing offer, public or private, is insufficient, prioritizing disadvantaged areas that have vulnerable students or peripheral areas that do not have this service.

For it classrooms will be renovated and adaptedthat is, existing infrastructures that do not have a defined use or are currently in disuse will be reused, and when this is not possible, classrooms will be built in vacant areas of the school campuses that meet the necessary requirements.

New nursery schools

On the other hand, it will promote construction of new nursery schools of municipal ownership and extension of those already authorized through aid destined to finance expenses derived from the works that the city councils will carry out. The adaptation of centers that do not have authorization and that serve children under 3 years of age will also be promoted.

In the same way, looking improve the enrollment rate in municipal-owned Infant schools through a cooperation instrument with city councils establishing formulas for shared management and financing. For this cooperation, there will be the Canarian Federation of Municipalities (FECAM) through a framework agreement, and with the municipalities through specific agreements. The financing of the Ministry will range between 33.3% and 66.6% depending on the different income levels of the families, starting from an average price of a school place of 300 euros.

It is also expected to improve the rate of early schooling of students
canary through a cooperation instrument with authorized private early childhood education centers with which it is intended to create a line of aid for the early schooling of these students in a situation of vulnerability or in an unfavorable socioeconomic situation so that they can access this educational service.

Lines aid to finance the cost of school places in private centers Early childhood education will be of two types that are detailed in the plan. A total of 1,288 male and female students per course would benefit from said aid in the aforementioned private centers, which will amount to 300 euros for some and 150 euros for others.

campaigns of awareness and training

In addition, the plan contemplates the realization of public awareness campaigns and training actions. The objective is to show its benefits and its recognition and importance to achieve a 6% increase in this rate in each school year.

Regarding the second objective, among other aspects, work will be done on the creation of classrooms for the first cycle of Early Childhood Education of the CEIPs and CEOs as sustainable spaces that enhance learning. Thus, the adaptation of 34 classrooms with these characteristics is expected in the 2022-23 academic year; 34 on 23-24, and another 40 on 24/25.

Likewise, the design of learning situations will be promoted in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education for implementation of teaching strategies and methodological guidelines established in the curriculum decree; guidelines will be offered for attention to the individual differences of students in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education, contemplating diversity; and permanent training itineraries will be developed for teaching staff, non-teaching staff, families and other agents of the educational community. Discussion tables and participatory spaces will also be promoted in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education.

Reception and transition plans

In addition, the development of reception plans for newly incorporated students to the first or second cycle of Early Childhood Education. In addition, transition plans between first and second cycle, respecting the rhythms and needs of students and their families.

Information, active participation and effective cooperation will be improved between the center and the families. All this through actions such as the implementation of a positive parental education program, among other actions.

Context and financing of the Strategic Education Plan

The plan starts from The Canary Islands have a low net enrollment rate at this stage and an unequal distribution of supply. As of August 31, 2021, in the Canary Islands there were 241 authorized educational centers to teach the first cycle of Early Childhood Education. Of these, 79 were public centers, with an offer of 5,490 places; and 162 private centers that offered 7,957 (total of 13,447 places)

This instrument is intended two ways of financing: the funds of the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR) and the General Budgets of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands. The temporary distribution of the MRR funds for this year includes 1,293 new places with a budget of 11,912,615 euros; for 2022 another 1,293 places and 19,639,404 euros are planned, and in 2023 it will be 7,995,988 euros for 1,293 places. In total, the investment will amount to 39,538,007 euros in that period, in which 3,879 places will be built.

There will be more content from the Canary Islands in all areas

In the press appearance, the president and the counselor answered questions about the subject of Geography and History of the Canary Islands. Torres has clarified that “regardless of whether this subject remains compulsory, there will be a increase in Canarian content in other subjects. In this way, the contents related to the Canary Islands will be contextualized in areas such as, for example, literature or art”, pointed out the president”.