This surge means that NEAE students now account for 13.27% of the total student population in the General Regime of the archipelago. This proportion has increased by more than four percentage points since the 2021-2022 academic year alone.
“"The number of people identified with special educational needs is concerning and requires in-depth analysis."
The report suggests that this increase could be attributed to improved early detection, as well as a rise in the prevalence of underlying causes. Despite this, 73.0% of these students are integrated into mainstream classrooms, although the possibilities vary depending on the type of disability.
For instance, students with severe communication and language disorders, visual and auditory disabilities, severe behavioral disorders, and motor disabilities are enrolled in mainstream classrooms in over 90% of cases. However, conditions such as autism spectrum disorders (76.5%) and intellectual disabilities (56.7%) show lower percentages of mainstream schooling, with multiple disabilities having the lowest rate at just 25.6%.
In response to this situation, the Canary Islands School Council has proposed several measures to enhance support. These include a proportional reduction in class sizes for classrooms with NEAE students to facilitate more personalized attention. They also suggest reviewing the geographical location of Special Education Centers and enclave classrooms, prioritizing proximity to students' family and community environments.
Other key proposals involve ensuring universal accessibility in Ordinary Centers for Preferred Educational Attention and all mainstream centers, covering both infrastructure and material resources. Furthermore, there is a push to expand the staff of Therapeutic Pedagogy and Hearing and Language teachers, as well as educational assistants, ensuring adequate staffing and stability across all islands. Finally, simplifying the bureaucratic burden on educational guidance personnel is proposed to allow more time for direct intervention with students and families.
“"We are listening to those sectors of the educational community that demand resources and actions, and we then study, analyze, and make proposals based on that."
The president of the School Council has confirmed that specific monitoring of this issue is underway and that the Ministry of Education has proposed a diversity attention law that will soon enter the Canary Islands Parliament. The School Council expects to participate in the processing of this law, contributing proposals derived from its analysis and active listening to the educational community.
