Poli Suárez, Minister of Education for the Canarian Government, has called for "responsibility" and "political maturity" from all parliamentary groups to reach a consensus on the upcoming law that will govern the attention to diversity and the well-being of students in non-university education. The regional department is currently developing this regulation.
The minister guaranteed that "all contributions" would be heard, from families with children with special needs to the political groups represented in the Parliament. Suárez appeared before the Disability Commission of the Parliament of Canarias, at the request of the seven parliamentary groups, urging them not to "play politics" with students with special needs and offering "a hand" for proposals from all groups, regardless of their support for the Government.
“"We are going to listen to all contributions"
Currently, the Canarian education system serves approximately 5,000 students with special educational needs. The draft law aims to reorganize the diversity support model, promoting a more inclusive approach. Changes are planned for the concept of 'enclave classrooms', integrating them more within the ordinary educational center rather than as a parallel schooling modality, which has been a primary complaint from families.
As Suárez explained, students will remain enrolled in their reference group and will attend the enclave classroom on a punctual basis to work on specific aspects. The minister also highlighted the progress in diversity and disability support over the last three years, describing the current model as "more inclusive, more accessible, and more equitable," with an increase in human resources, strengthened guidance structures, and expanded specific programs.
Suárez emphasized that educational inclusion requires a stable structural strategy, not "isolated actions or patches." He noted a significant increase in non-teaching support staff, which has grown from 940 to 1,902 professionals, including educational assistants, caregivers, physiotherapists, and health specialists. Furthermore, investment in specialized teaching staff has increased by approximately 42 million euros, and educational and psychopedagogical guidance teams have been reinforced.
The minister assured that resources have been distributed equitably across all islands to mitigate inequalities arising from insularity. He acknowledged delays in the assessment processes for students with specific needs but stated that measures have been implemented to expedite these procedures. Despite substantial improvements, Suárez admitted that Canarias still falls below the state average in some inclusion indicators, considering the progress "insufficient."
