Several demonstrations organized by the Platform for Inclusive Education in the Canary Islands took place this Sunday, demanding a public school system with "real support" for students with disabilities or special needs (NEAE), under the slogan "no child is left behind." The protests occurred simultaneously in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Tenerife, with families from La Gomera and La Palma also participating.
Carolina Buriticá, president of the platform, warned that the lack of adequate resources is leading to the exclusion of these students from the "ordinary educational environment," even from special education classrooms or centers. "Stop the lies," she exclaimed, criticizing that the Regional Ministry "is now trying to solve what was needed three years ago," while the number of students with disabilities or NEAE has grown exponentially.
The platform is not only requesting support assistants but also professionals for co-teaching, a model successfully implemented in other autonomous communities. The goal is to ensure that students with disabilities enjoy "real inclusion" and receive support "where they belong," avoiding their systematic referral to special education, where, they claim, "there is no academic curriculum" and cases that "pass the filter" are "exceptional."
Buriticá criticized that discrimination is justified by the students' condition, arguing that "since I cannot provide the resources they need, I will remove them from the ordinary system... they are saying our children are surplus." She added that among students with intellectual disabilities, there is "widespread illiteracy" due to a lack of qualifications, and that the only alternative offered to them upon completing their educational path are programs like NEAE +21 or adapted vocational training.
The platform's president emphasized that "the majority" of these young people remain at home "without knowing what to do, without an opportunity for professional development," describing this situation as "an education that disables." She warned that the lack of tools for social utility and professional development will lead to "more dependency" in the future.
Finally, Buriticá stated that the demonstrations are not aimed at demanding recognition of rights that already exist, but rather to denounce their violation. She considered the current "segregation" to be "a matter of ideology" and declared: "You cannot play politics with our children."
