The Union of Teaching Workers in the Balearic Islands, or STEI, has asked the Ministry of Health to consider delaying the start of the new school year because of the current coronavirus situation.
STEI has written to Health Minister, Patricia Gómez, asking her to consider postponing the start of the new term to avoid the risk of coronavirus infection.
"Health criteria must be the guideline for the return to school," states the STEI, which points out that the College of Physicians has already warned that "coronavirus is out of control" and that it would be dangerous to return to classrooms in this situation.
Union Representatives say the Ministry of Education’s 20 students per classroom limit is not safe enough, advocates groups of between 10 and 12 students and is demanding 500 extra teachers for public education and 150 for subsidised schools.
The Teaching section of the UGT has asked the Ministry of Education to facilitate compliance with the maximum ratio of 20 students per classroom and draw up "a map of centres that exceed that limit.”
"The Union has received complaints from Management teams who can see that teachers are overloaded with work and have also complained that the Education Department’s instructions are contradictory," said a Union press release.
The UGT is demanding that the General Directorate of Public Health evaluate all centres where classes exceed the 20 students per classroom ratio.