The 2023-2024 school year began this Monday "without incidents in the Canary Islands and with a tribute to the teaching staff" of the Archipelago, as highlighted by the Minister of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands, Poli Suárez, represented by a group of retired teachers who performed "their duties" at the Agustín Hernández Díaz de Moya school, located in Las Palmas, where the academic year was officially inaugurated.
Suárez highlighted in his speech "the work carried out by the teaching staff of the Archipelago" for "having sown the seed of knowledge and education in our young people."
"The work carried out by the teaching staff of the Archipelago for having sown the seed of knowledge and education in our young people."
"An old saying goes that whoever plants a laurel will not see it grow," referring to the longevity of this species. "Education must be approached as the germination of this tree, with a long-term perspective, with decisions that guarantee a quality public education system with stability over time, like someone who waters and cares for this plant with the illusion and hope that it will become a beautiful specimen, even if we do not see it, but that it will remain robust for future generations," he said after students from the center presented laurel saplings to the retired teachers present at the event.
Suárez has called on "the entire political class and the entire educational community" to "move towards the future of education in the Canary Islands" because, he said, it is "everyone's responsibility" to agree on decisions and pull together, "open to all points of view," to achieve an educational system "that perpetuates itself over time."
The Minister, accompanied by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the Mayor of Moya, Raúl Afonso, as well as his team and the teaching and non-teaching staff of the educational center, stressed that "the latter" is the one that is "every day" in the centers and classrooms, while politicians "make their decisions and manage education."
Visibly moved, Suárez thanked the honored teachers for their work, some of whom even taught him in his childhood, and expressed his hope that this tribute "will serve to make them feel protected by this Ministry."
A first course started with "normality"
Both Clavijo and Suárez have reported that the school year has "started normally, without serious incidents, and that the 176,000 students of the Archipelago and their 27,000 teachers have been able to attend classes with guarantees." "It is true that we have had some incidents in some centers over the last week" and that is why we have had to "delay the start of the course by a week, but, in general terms, this Monday has started "the course with normality", Suárez stressed.
Fernando Clavijo has admitted that the team that inaugurates this legislature "will have difficulties and stumbles along the way" and that it will not be able to "arrive on time" or "always be with the material and human resource needs of the educational community," although he has assured that his Government "commits to try, to dialogue, to share, to agree on decisions and to always think, above all, about education."
Staff stabilization
Poli Suárez has guaranteed, in response to questions from journalists, that the Ministry has already held "working meetings with many associations of teachers, parents, and students" to find a solution to the processes for the "stabilization of the interim staff of this department of the regional Executive.""I also ask for that union unity around the stabilization of the staff of the Ministry of Education." "We need everyone. I insist, if we go hand in hand, the road will be easier," he asserted.
