SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 22nd May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Poli Suárez, the Minister of Education of the Canary Islands Government (PP), appealed on Wednesday for “unity and solidarity in parliament” to stand together before the central government and request the initiation of a new teacher stabilization process.
Addressing questions from NC-BC and ASG during the Plenary Session control, he expressed regret over the “errors” made in the previous term when formulating the regulations, as they were aware that staff from the islands would be excluded from the competition.
Suárez announced that he will meet with unions on Wednesday to explore solutions and is hopeful of an audience soon with the Education Minister, Pilar Alegría, to secure approval for the new stabilization process.
The Minister also mentioned that they are awaiting developments in June regarding a new ruling from the CJEU, and criticized the fact that despite a previous unanimous approval in the legislature for a clause stipulating a personal interview with topics specific to the geography and history of the Canary Islands for candidates in the competition, this was not implemented.
The Ministry of Education has received over 12,000 grievances related to the process and is currently in the phase of addressing these concerns.
Carmen Hernández (NC-BC) described the competition outcome as “catastrophic”, highlighting that 2,048 individuals from other regions have been stabilized while over 1,800 teachers working in the Canary Islands have been left without placement.
Additionally, there has been a “crisis” in Primary Education affecting 80% of teachers, leading to “irreparable harm” and a challenge to the quality and stability of the educational system, disrupting years of curriculum development “tailored to the local environment”.
Hernández criticized the central government for legislating in a “narrow and centralised” manner, disregarding the unique characteristics of the islands with disdain, and expressed hope that the forthcoming CJEU ruling will provide clarity.
Hence, she called for a new process in the style of Clavijo, ironically suggesting that with a “magic touch”, regulations will be established to accommodate Canarian “specificities” and ensure teachers without positions have the chance to stabilize their employment.
ASG spokesperson, Casimiro Curbelo, remarked that it is “regrettable” that 53% of stabilized teachers are from other regions but urged avoiding dwelling on the past and instead working collectively to resolve the issue.
He expressed his hopes for government authorization for a new call or the introduction of a “flexible competition” to secure the positions of the 2,000 professionals who have been serving in the archipelago “for a significant period.”
“Let’s not play the blame game again, it’s the same story every time, endless arguments without solutions,” he remarked.
