PP highlights 142% rise in support staff for NEAE students in Fuerteventura
PP deputy for Fuerteventura, María Saavedra, highlighted the increase in human resources dedicated to supporting students with Specific Educational Support Needs (NEAE) on the island, asserting that the current legislature represents “a significant advance” in this area.
According to data provided by the Canary Islands Government’s Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports, the number of auxiliary workers in Fuerteventura rose from 42 in the 2022/2023 academic year — the last managed under the so‑called Flowers Pact, with the PSOE heading the ministry — to 102 today. This represents, according to the PP, a 142% increase in educational support staff.
Saavedra thanked the work carried out by the area minister, Poli Suárez, and his team, highlighting the improvement in staff ratios, especially in the Enclave Classrooms.
“Although there is still a way to go, the current advances far surpass the previous administration. In this legislature we have done much more than was ever done before,” she said.
The deputy emphasized that this staffing boost adds to other initiatives driven by the ministry, such as the expansion of the Costa Calma Primary School, which, she noted, are aimed at guaranteeing inclusive and quality education in Fuerteventura.
Criticism of the PSOE
During her speech, Saavedra also criticised the previous Socialist Party’s management of education.
“In the years when the PSOE was in power, the human resources to support students with special educational needs were clearly insufficient,” she pointed out, adding that the current number of professionals “is almost triple” compared with previous periods.
She also lamented what she described as an “incoherent” attitude by the PSOE on the island, noting that it focuses its criticism on areas managed by the Popular Party while taking a “complacent” stance toward other government sectors.
“It would be desirable for the same firmness they now display to have been shown when they held governmental responsibilities,” she argued.
Finally, the Popular Party parliamentarian called for political debate to focus on concrete proposals and the real improvement of public services, prioritising — she said — the general interest of Fuerteventura and the Canary Islands.