Balearics has most foreign students

Joan Collins THE Balearics is the region with the highest percentage of foreign pupils in Primary Education, with 151.12 students for every 1'000 registered in this school year, very much above the national average of 91.9 and 19 percentage points more than during the last school year, according to figures published yesterday by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (MEC). In total, for this school year, the Balearics have 19'151 foreign pupils registered in compulsory education, some 10.2 percent more that last year. There is a growth of 10.1 percent of foreign students in the islands' public education centres (15'643), although there is a higher percentage rise in private schools (10.9 percent more, to 3'518). So, 12.8 percent of pupils in compulsory education in the Balearics are foreigners (19'161 from a total of 149'513). However, there is a much higher proportion in public education centres (16.5 percent of the total) than in private centres, where they form just 6.3 percent of the total students. The highest proportion of these foreigners come from Latin American countries (8'589, in comparison with 7'823 last year). The majority of these come from Ecuador (2'699), Argentina (2'092) and Columbia (1'533). Nevertheless, by countries, Morocco has most pupils on the islands, with 2'957 (300 more). There are 4'370 pupils from European Union countries (in comparison with 3'887 last year), mostly German (1'501) and British (1'269), while 698 come from Asia, 394 of whom are Chinese. As for the situation with Infant Education, the Balearics is the second region with the most foreign pupils, with 100.1 for every 1'000 pupils, only behind La Rioja with 112.5, and very much above the national average of 63.5. In the case of secondary education, the islands are also in second position with 124.1, 12 points more than last year), behind Madrid with 128.9 and again very much above the national average of 79.4. In the public education centres on the Balearics, foreign students from Latin America form the majority (6'961 of the total of 15'643). These are followed by those from European Union countries (3'595), Africa (2'800), from countries outside the European Union (1'187) and Asia (577). They are in similar proportions in the private education centres on the islands, where students from Latin America also head the list, with 1'628 registered, followed by those from the European Union with 775, Africa with 527, countries outside the European Union with 265 and Asia with 121.