The 2024-2025 school year began this Wednesday in the Balearic Islands after the end of the summer holidays. More than 161,000 students participating in a back-to-school session marked the teachers’ assessment in the classrooms, the ban on using mobile phones and the incorporation of psychologists in the centers.
Since early this morning, thousands of children and adolescents from preschool, primary, secondary, baccalaureate and special education on the islands have started a new school year without the most optimal conditions. Well, you will have the same barracks as last year (154) and up to 67 schools and institutes under construction.
However, the most positive development of this new academic year 2024-2025 is the integration of 39 psychologists which will be distributed in 82 schools in the Balearic Islands, representing a clear commitment to the mental health of young people. There will also be 435 educational advisors in public centers, 71 more than last year, as well as 382 educational technical assistants.
On the other hand, the most daring and striking novelty of this 2024-2025 school year is the Ban on the use of mobile phones in classrooms by students. The Ministry of Education which directs Antoni Vera (PP) allows teachers to remove the device from their students whenever it is turned off, although exceptional cases are considered such as children with health problems or specific classroom activities that require a mobile phone.
There were already schools in the Balearic Islands that requisitioned their students’ mobile phones, as is the case of Pius place cell phones in a glass locker installed in each classroom of the center. This is a pioneering measure that affects all students from the 1st year of ESO to the 2nd year of the Baccalaureate.
Pilot plan for free choice of language
At the same time, this will be the first course in which the Pilot plan for free choice of language to which only eleven subsidized centers joined: Montesión, Can Bonet, Mare de Déu de les Neus, Sant Vicenç de Paül-Sa Vileta, San Alfonso Maria Ligorio, Santa Mònica, Nostra Senyora de Consolació de Ibiza, Nostra Senyora de Consolació de Alaró, Nostra Senyora de Consolació de Palma, Aixa-Llaüt and Juan de la Cierva.
A measure from which a total of 2,322 students of the archipelago thanks to the pact between the PP of Marga Prohens and Vox, now broken. A project that, despite complaints from pro-independence groups opposed to bilingualism in classrooms, was approved by the High Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands (TSJB), which refused last July to suspend the pilot project.
It should be noted that public education will have 14,005 teachers in public centres, 688 more than the previous year, which represents a “record number of professionals in the classs”, while the one planned this year with 4,579 professionals, which represents an increase of 81 teachers compared to the 2023-2024 school year.
It is worth remembering that the 2024-25 school year in the Balearic Islands began this Wednesday, September 11, in the nursery, primary, secondary and baccalaureate classes. On September 20, it will be the turn of Vocational Training (FP) and the Special Regime. Likewise, they will be 161,088 students who start this course, 1,183 more than the previous one.
