The Cabildo of Lanzarote and the Department of Education, Universities, Culture and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands, held a meeting this Monday to discuss progress in educational infrastructure, the main items for Lanzarote in the Canary Islands budgets for 2023 and the implementation of the 0 to 3 year cycle, among other issues.
The president of the Island Council, María Dolores Corujo, together with the Minister of Education, Manuela Armas, have reported on the investments in new educational infrastructures contemplated in the regional budgets for this 2023, which will reach 2,328 million euros and for which 2,700 more professionals have been hired in the Canary Islands. In addition, an increase in scholarships for students from non-capital islands is also planned.
These actions and those carried out during the past three years of mandate, have served to "put an end to the large deficit of educational infrastructures that existed in Lanzarote", according to Armas.
New educational centers
Looking ahead to this year 2023, the government representatives have announced the tender for the new CEO of Costa Teguise, scheduled for this week, as well as the construction of the El Quintero school in San Bartolomé, which will be named after Alexis Tejera, which is also expected to be tendered in the coming months.
In addition, as they have stated, the budgets of the Government of the Canary Islands contemplate a new FP center in Lanzarote and the construction of a new nursery school in Arrecife, projects for which "there is already land available".
Likewise, a partida is also included for the construction of six classrooms in the CEO of Playa Blanca.
More classrooms from 0 to 3 years old
Regarding public education from 0 to 3 years, implemented for the first time this school year in the Canary Islands, the creation of new classrooms and places for Lanzarote has also been announced.
"The Canary Islands had a very important delay in this area, since a commitment that was contemplated by law had not been made," said the president of the Cabildo in this regard, indicating that "to the five schools that currently exist in Lanzarote" with classrooms from 0 to 3 years, "six more will be added for the next school year", which will make a total of eleven.
Specifically, to the classrooms opened in the CEO Argana, CEIP San Juan, CEIP Concepción Rodríguez Artiles, CEIP Virgen de los Volcanes and in the CEO Ignacio Aldecoa de La Graciosa, others will be incorporated in the CEIP Guiguan, Adolfo Topham, Ajei, Nieves Toledo, Alcalde Rafael Cedrés and Yaiza.
Other cultural and sports infrastructures
In addition to the new educational centers contemplated in the budgets of the Government of the Canary Islands for 2023, investments in cultural and sports infrastructures for the island of Lanzarote have also been advanced.
"It was only fair that Lanzarote had a professional conservatory like other islands," said the councillor, and also indicated that there is also a budget allocation for the Palace of Congresses, once "the issue of land" is resolved.
"After so many decades listening to the commitment of the Cabildo and the Government of the Canary Islands for its construction, when we arrived at the Government we verified that there was a project but no land availability. Now, after two years working very intensely on a problem that exists and that embarrasses the society of Lanzarote, fortunately and, with the collaboration of Arrecife, we have been able to solve the problems and we hope that in the next plenary session they will give it to us definitively," Corujo pointed out.
Finally, the president of the Cabildo has also announced that the Government of the Canary Islands has transferred one million euros to the island corporation for the covered Pavilion of Playa Honda.
Increase in scholarships and reduction of school dropout
For its part, the budget allocated to scholarships for university students living in non-capital islands will register an increase from 300,000 to 600,000 euros and specific ones will also be created for students with special needs, with the Canary Islands being "the first community to launch them".
Facts like this, in the opinion of Corujo and Armas, have had a direct impact on the reduction of the school dropout rate in the islands, which has decreased by 11.8 points, placing it "well below" the national average.
However, they have pointed out the need to "continue working and advancing" in this direction.
