EDUCATION

THE leader of the opposition, Partido Popular, Jose Bauza, has announced that if he is elected leader of the Balearics at the next local elections this Spring he will slash the number of civil servants and spend heavily on education. I hope this is not just a pre-election grabbing headline because it sounds like a very good idea to me.

The education system in the Balearics is in a mess because there is no coherent policy on the teaching of Catalan. What is needed is a proper educational model, which takes into account three or four languages, Catalan, Spanish, English and possibly German. It is vital that Catalan is taught in local schools because it is the language of these islands alongside Spanish. But what you can´t have is some schools teaching some subjects in Catalan and others doing the same in Spanish or even English.

What is needed is a long term educational plan which will not be changed at the drop of a hat depending on who is in power. The present coalition government has underlined the importance of Catalan in local schools. The Partido Popular, if they are elected, will reverse this situation in favour of Spanish and possibly English. So a major change for pupils and teachers. A proper teaching plan, supported by all parties, is needed.