The Governing Council of the Junta de Andalucía has greenlit a new decree aimed at improving educational attention in non-university centers situated in areas identified as having social transformation needs. These environments are characterized by high rates of social exclusion, severe poverty, or marginalization among their inhabitants.
The measure seeks to prevent and compensate for inequalities that students may face due to social, economic, geographical, or cultural factors. The decree includes specific actions for students encountering difficulties in accessing and remaining within the educational system due to personal, health, or socioeconomic circumstances.
For the next school year, over a thousand educational centers will see their staff numbers boosted by approximately 1,800 additional teachers. Of these, nearly 1,300 will be allocated to specific programs in the so-called social transformation zones, while the remainder will be assigned to extraordinary quotas in compensatory education centers. These centers cater to students with significant curricular gaps due to ethnic minority status, immigration, or disadvantaged economic backgrounds, regardless of their geographical location.
The estimated budget for this initiative amounts to 100 million euros annually. The decree's application is based on territorial and population criteria, including centers in disadvantaged and rural areas, penitentiary institutions, and those with over 15% vulnerable student enrollment. Centers with a staff turnover exceeding 70% will also be considered, as high mobility is understood to create educational challenges.
The decree authorizes centers to implement organizational flexibility measures concerning spaces, times, and student groupings to facilitate student retention and academic progress. The addition of new teachers will enable the reduction of student-to-teacher ratios.
To promote teacher stability in centers facing particular difficulties, educators completing four consecutive years in such institutions will receive eight additional points in transfer competitions, with three more points for each subsequent year.
In terms of management, extraordinary mechanisms are introduced for appointing directors in centers with high staff turnover, aiming to strengthen the stability of their governing bodies. Specialized training for teachers working with vulnerable students, including mentoring programs, is another key measure outlined in the decree.
