SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 23 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cabildo of Tenerife and the Government of the Canary Islands will be launching an experimental programme on the island aimed at establishing a school nursing service in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 residents. This announcement was made by Cabildo President Rosa Dávila and the Minister of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity, and Sports of the Canary Islands Executive, Poli Suárez, following their meeting on Tuesday at the island palace.
Also present at the meeting were Cabildo’s first vice-president, Lope Afonso, along with councillors for the Presidency, José Miguel Ruano; Employment and Education, Efraín Medina; Sports, Yolanda Moliné; and Youth and Training, Serafín Mesa.
Dávila expressed that this initiative will address the needs in these schools and will gradually expand, with Tenerife being the first island to introduce school infirmaries. She stated, “It is a project that we are very enthusiastic about, and we aim to implement it for the upcoming academic year.”
Regarding this, Poli Suárez mentioned that new projects had been discussed with the Council and the president, who “is particularly keen on commencing the implementation of school nursing in the smaller municipalities before extending to all centres requiring this service.” He highlighted the Council’s interest in working closely with the Ministry and emphasised the example they are setting with Canarian content, which they intend to promote in educational establishments in Tenerife and the Canary Islands.
Rosa Dávila also touched upon other crucial topics, such as the development plan for the southern region of Tenerife, costing 77 million euros over a decade, which will involve establishing ten new centres and enhancing and expanding seventeen existing ones. The president underscored, “The southern region of Tenerife has experienced a population increase and necessitated an effective response from the Ministry. We acknowledge the efforts made by the Minister and his team in implementing this development plan for Tenerife.”
Poli Suárez highlighted that the development plan for educational infrastructure in Tenerife’s south is a much-needed initiative, focusing on creating new spaces and reforming existing ones in a region that has faced neglect in recent years. He mentioned plans for CIFP Adeje, which “should be operational in the next academic year,” along with special education centres. “We are discussing improvements across all municipalities, underlining the significance of collaboration between the Ministry and the Council,” Suárez added.
EDUCATION FOR AGES 0 TO 3.
The meeting also delved into education for children aged 0 to 3 years. Poli Suárez noted there had been some setbacks with certain contracted companies but assured that new classrooms for 2-3-year-olds will be available in Tenerife in the upcoming school year. He stressed the importance of considering the social realities of the island in setting up these classrooms to assist disadvantaged populations. “The Cabildo, under the new governing direction, initiated aid to families, focusing on inter-administrative collaboration to reach more individuals and enhance the educational standard on the island,” he elaborated.
Rosa Dávila recalled that the Cabildo de Tenerife is the Spanish local authority with the highest commitment to scholarships, especially with linguistic immersion scholarships, the amount of which has doubled from 27 to 40 million euros. She emphasised the priority placed on the training of young individuals, excellence among teaching staff, and the improvement of infrastructures.
First Vice-President Lope Afonso mentioned the commencement of the new Dual Vocational Training course during the meeting, highlighting its potential to better align the labour demand of local companies with the employability prospects of young people receiving formal education. Afonso expressed enthusiasm for this dual FP format, offering students the opportunity to work in companies from the first year onwards. He noted the Cabildo’s dedication to fostering employability and supporting the productivity of different sectors, applauding the Government of the Canary Islands for their efforts.
Afonso stressed the significance of further developing sports infrastructure in Tenerife and enhancing the technical abilities of athletes. He emphasised that investments in infrastructure should aim to facilitate sports practice and provide suitable spaces for clubs, federations, and athletes. He discussed various Cabildo projects, including the Puerto de la Cruz Aquatic Sports Centre and the Tenerife Marine Sports Centre (Cidemat), currently undergoing public consultation and promotion by the Cabildo.
Additionally, there were discussions concerning the Canary Islands Government processing a patronage law through the Sports Department to encourage sports promotion and events. Afonso concluded by highlighting the importance of involving the business network through estimated incentives to ensure the sustainability of entities requiring public and private support to continue offering their current services.
