Increased Demands in Marbella’s Public Education
Students in the kindergarten classroom at the Fernández Mayoralas School in Marbella are facing challenges. There are increasing demands in Marbella’s public education system. The Rafael Fernández Mayoralas School has requested an additional kindergarten line for 3-year-olds for the 2024-25 academic year from the Board of Education. They have received 39 priority applications and 33 subsidiary ones, which they believe are more than enough to justify the need for a second class. An online petition has been initiated to support this cause.
Parents Association Leads the Fight
The Parents and Mothers Association (AMPA) Marvesulae of the CEIP Rafael Fernández Mayoralas is leading this claim to combat the Board’s policies of eliminating lines in Marbella’s public schools. They point out that for the third consecutive year, one of the two classes for 3-year-olds, the youngest students at the center, has been eliminated.
Exceeding the Capacity of a Single Unit
They assert that, far from the 25 applications needed to have a classroom, the center has received 39 priority and 33 subsidiary applications, thus greatly exceeding the capacity of a single unit. There are 14 families who chose this school as their first option and currently do not have a place.
Relocation Not a Feasible Option
One possible solution would be the CEIP Miguel de Cervantes, in the same area of influence. However, they point out that this relocation is not possible as this school, very close to Mayoralas, only has one vacant place, having received 24 applications out of the 25 available. Therefore, 13 families would still face the same problem, having to enroll their children in schools further from their residence or workplace.
Lack of School Transport
The AMPA believes that “there is also no school transport line to cover the distance to a new, more distant school”. They point out that this way of acting “is far from the actions in favor of family reconciliation that the Board claims to guarantee to families”.
Criticism of the Regional Administration
The criticism goes further, pointing out that the regional administration “has scorned the right of these families to choose their educational center”. In addition, they highlight that losing a 3-year-old line means “losing the reinforcement teacher in the Early Childhood Education stage”, something that “would negatively impact the students”.
Call for More Kindergarten Units
“With only one teacher, the educational response that our children deserve cannot be provided”, the AMPA points out. “We demand the creation of one more 3-year-old unit from the Board as a right”, they conclude, while announcing mobilizations. They are collecting signatures online through the platform “Petición.es”.
