The regional Executive has greenlit a historic investment of €79,818,334.74 to regulate the educational assistant service in the archipelago's public schools for the period between 2027 and 2029. This initiative, driven by the Department of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports, aims to ensure support for students with disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), severe behavioral disorders (SBD), and special health conditions.
The annual investment will exceed 26 million euros, supplemented by 1.5 million euros for workshop assistants and funds from the Department of Health and the Canary Islands Health Service for qualified healthcare personnel and early childhood education technicians. The initial budget for 2027, set at 26.6 million euros, represents a 104% increase compared to previous funding.
One of the key innovations in the new contract is the extension of the daily working hours for educational assistants from 5 to 6.5 hours, a long-standing demand from management teams and families. Furthermore, the service will, for the first time, cover essential provisions such as school meal times and specialized support in school residences for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
The winning company will be legally obligated to manage an active employment pool to ensure swift substitutions in case of medical leave or unforeseen contingencies, thereby preventing classrooms from being left unattended. Special emphasis is placed on service coverage in the non-capital islands (Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro), where the scarcity of specialists often creates greater management challenges. The regulations also mandate continuous training for employees.
This tender will conclude the service provided by ‘Aeromédica Canaria SLU’, which had been operating under a continuity arrangement since March 2021. Poli Suárez, head of the educational area for the island councils, highlighted the service's growth, increasing from 998 professionals at the end of the 2022/2023 academic year to 1,902 active workers in the current academic year. The budget allocation has risen from 13 million euros in 2023 to 22 million euros in the current fiscal year, demonstrating unprecedented support for families in the archipelago.
