The opening day of the civil service examinations for the teaching profession in the Canary Islands was marked by tension and nerves among the thousands of hopefuls who have dedicated months to their preparation. The goal is to secure one of the 944 available positions in the archipelago's public education system, a sector currently facing a high rate of temporary staff, nearing 40%.
The majority of the offered positions, specifically 686, are for the master teacher body, attracting 6,686 candidates, averaging ten applicants per post. The remaining vacancies are allocated to secondary education teachers (192 positions), plastic arts and design (15), official language schools (seven), and conservatories (23 positions through an extraordinary stabilization procedure).
One of the examination venues, the IES Isabel de España in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, hosted candidates for the English, French, and Physical Education specializations within the master teacher body. Mónica Ramírez, Director General of Personnel for the Ministry of Education, noted that the absence of master teacher positions being offered in Andalusia this year has led to an increased number of applicants from outside the islands.
While there are no legal restrictions for candidates from other autonomous communities, measures have been implemented to manage the influx. Presentation events, held on Friday, May 29th, and June 6th, required the physical submission of teaching plans and, for master teachers, in-person readings before the examination panels. These requirements necessitate candidates staying in the Canary Islands for several days. It is estimated that 15% of master teacher candidates come from outside the archipelago.
The process for successful candidates will involve up to five in-person stages: the presentation of their teaching plan, the first exam (divided into morning and afternoon sessions), the reading of the test before the panels, and, if they pass, the defense of their teaching plan.
Saturday's exams covered the master teacher body, plastic arts and design, and the Spanish for foreigners specialization at official language schools in the morning. In the afternoon, exams were held for secondary education and again for master teachers in two sessions. Ramírez assured that the Canarian administration is accustomed to managing large-scale processes, recalling the 2024 stabilization process that involved 30,000 people, and expressed gratitude to the examination panels and management teams for ensuring the day proceeded smoothly and with maximum guarantees.
