Yurena Pérez: “Securing a second PAU campus in Fuerteventura is something I’ll always remember”

The island’s Education Director highlights progress in decentralising education across Fuerteventura and extending the network to the south, where a new Integrated Vocational Training Centre has opened for the first time. Pérez urges the island municipalities to cede land for a new educational‑infrastructure plan and announces the relocation of the Education Directorate and the Educational Inspection to new premises in El Charco, Puerto del Rosario. She also warns that the lack of public transport is a major driver of school‑dropout in non‑compulsory education on the island.

“Having secured a second PAU site in Fuerteventura is one of those things I’ll remember when I leave this stage.”
— Yurena Pérez, Island Education Director

The director summed up the satisfaction of seeing southern students this year take their university‑entrance exams without having to travel to Puerto del Rosario.

Start of the school year at CIFP Morro Jable

Educational decentralisation has long been a key demand of the island’s school community. After years of petitions, it finally materialises. Pérez pointed to the opening of the Integrated Vocational Training Centre (CIFP) in Morro Jable, which now serves 134 students and more than 30 teachers.

The centre still lacks an official name—pending a decision by the School Council—but it launches with six professional families and plans to expand its offer next academic year.

“We are convinced enrolments will surge because the community is becoming better informed, and we want to adapt the programmes to the needs of the island’s business fabric.”

Infrastructure plan and land‑granting

Pérez announced that the Canary Islands Educational Infrastructure Plan is being drafted and will be updated before year‑end. She stressed that land cession by municipalities is essential for any new construction.

“We won’t plan anything without that land, because it would be unfair to raise expectations we cannot meet.”

To date, only the municipalities of La Oliva and Puerto del Rosario have contributed land. Pérez also highlighted the need to upgrade existing schools, especially secondary‑education facilities in Puerto del Rosario, where new buildings will be required.

“If we don’t act now, we risk running out of space in some secondary schools.”

Improvements at CEIP Gran Tarajal awaiting CEO status

One of the main challenges is the CEIP Gran Tarajal, where the contracted company abandoned works, leaving bathrooms and courtyards in a “lamentable” state. Emergency repairs were carried out over the summer.

• Partial rehabilitation is complete.
• A new tender is expected to finish the ambitious renovation.

The long‑term vision is to transform the school, together with the adjacent former boarding house, into a Comprehensive Educational Centre (CEO), eliminating the need for students to travel elsewhere until they finish the fourth year of compulsory secondary education.

Parallel initiatives include the rollout of 0‑to‑3‑year‑old classrooms: the Tuineje unit is already open, and openings in Pájara and El Matorral are slated for October. The Antigua nursery remains delayed due to successive contractors failing to complete the works, but the Directorate maintains it as a priority.

Inclusion, school canteens and health staff

The new academic year also launches additional special‑needs classrooms in Morro Jable, Corralejo, El Matorral and Puerto del Rosario, alongside a gradual increase of health personnel in schools.

“We know this staff is vital for student safety, especially for medical issues,” Pérez said.

While health staff in classrooms is being reinforced, there is still a shortage of personnel for school canteens, particularly in southern schools. Pérez is working “against the clock” to fill these gaps within days, recognizing that families depend on these services.

Transport: the biggest obstacle

In the extensive interview, Pérez labelled public transport as “the most serious pending issue we have in Fuerteventura regarding education.” She identified it as a key factor behind school‑dropout in non‑compulsory stages.

“It’s extremely hard for a student to stay enrolled the whole year when they have to get up at five in the morning to catch a minibus that is often overcrowded.”

She recounted cases in Gran Tarajal where students miss the minibus and must wait for hours or rely on relatives. Pérez argued that bringing education closer to students is the solution. The CIFP in Morro Jable exemplifies how to prevent transport from becoming a barrier.

“If this centre didn’t exist, many students say they wouldn’t be pursuing the studies they are now.”

Relocation to El Charco

Pérez also announced that the Island Education Directorate and the Educational Inspection will soon move to new facilities in Puerto del Rosario’s El Charco district.

“Families need both services together because they are always linked,” she explained, thanking staff for their commitment during the interim period and urging that the move be completed as soon as possible so normal operations can resume.