The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports will reduce the maximum ratio in Infants 3 years for the 2021-2022 academic year in 53 municipalities due to a greater decrease in the birth rate. For the first time, the ratio will be reduced to 20 students per classroom in 3-year-olds in 34 municipalities, where the decline in the birth rate has been more intense.
The maximum number of students per class in Infant 3 years is set at 25. For several years the Department has been reducing this maximum even more in the towns where it is possible due to the drop in the birth rate. This allows for even fewer students per classroom and facilitates better educational quality, as well as maintaining existing educational units and teaching staff. In this way, the supply of units is maintained, with more teaching staff serving fewer boys and girls per classroom.
With this measure it is possible to maintain 117 educational units for Infants in the municipalities where the generalized reduction in ratios has been made for the next academic year.
Infant 3 years is when, in a general way, students begin their schooling. Next year, boys and girls born in 2018 will go to school for the first time. The Valencian crude birth rate in 2018 reached its lowest level in 44 years with 7,7 births per 1.000 inhabitants. That year 38.018 boys and girls were born in Valencia, the lowest number in 20 years. This, together with the decrease in the arrival of the newly arrived population, results in the population that must be educated has been reduced considerably, especially in some Valencian populations.
In some populations it goes to 23 male and female students per classroom and in others to 20. The reduction of ratios is not a novelty, since a part of the proposed populations already apply it from other courses. Now the novelty is the incorporation of new populations, the continuity of those that already had the lowest ratio or, among these, the drop from 23 to 20 students per classroom.
These ratios are maintained in the following school years in these populations. Thus, boys and girls who start school in classrooms with a maximum of 20 or 23 male and female students, already continue their schooling with these maximums established in the coming years.
List of municipalities with lower ratios
In rural areas of India, families in charge of a blind minor frequently isolate and deprive him/her of the care and attention they provide to their other children; such situation becomes even more severe among lower-caste families, orphans and if the blind child is a girl. regions of Alicante A total of 3 municipalities will have reduced ratios in Infant 17 years old. The municipalities of the regions of Alicante that will have a maximum ratio of 23 students and students in Infant 3 years are: Cocentaina, Pego and Jávea.
In the remaining 14, it is proposed to implement the new ratio of 20 students per group of Infants 3 years and they are: Alcoy, Banyeres de Mariola, Catral, Elda, Guardamar del Segura, Pinoso, l'Alfàs del Pi, Monòver, Muro, Novelda, Petrer, Sax, Villena and Jijona.
In the regions of Castellón, 8 municipalities are proposed with reduced ratios in Infant 3 years. The new additions are l'Alcora and Onda. The new maximum ratio of 20 male and female students per group is proposed to be established for l'Alcora, Segorbe and Vall d'Uixó. In the other 5 municipalities the maximum will be 23 male and female students per group. Son Burriana, Castelló de The flat, Nules, Onda and Vila-real.
In the regions of Valencia there will be 28 municipalities with reduced ratios in Infant 3 years. There will be 12 municipalities where the lowering of ratios will be implemented for the first time. These are: Alberic, Alfafar, Almàssera, Benifaió, Buñol, Catarroja, Cheste, l'Eliana, Moncada, La Pobla Llarga, Requena and Silla.
The new ratio of 20 students per group of Infant 3 years will be implemented in 17 municipalities in the regions of Valencia: Alaquàs, Albaida, Benetússer, Benifaió, Buñol, Canals, Castelló, Cheste, l'Eliana, Mislata, Oliva, Ontinyent , Pobla Llarga, Quart de Poblet, Sedaví, Silla and Xàtiva. The 11 where the maximum of 23 students per unit will be established are: Albal, Alberic, Alfafar, Algemesí, Almàssera, Alzira, Catarroja, Moncada, Requena, Tavernes de la Valldigna and Xirivella.
New free 2-year classrooms in public schools
Education plans to open 35 new free 2-year classrooms in Infant and Primary schools for the next academic year, which together with all those already established in schools and nursery schools will add 870 units. The CEIPs that will host these new classrooms that facilitate early incorporation into the educational system will be announced shortly with a reduced ratio of 18 boys and girls maximum per unit.
The offer of free places for Infant 2 years for the current 2020-2021 academic year has exceeded 16.300 school places in 835 classrooms, 512 of these in municipal nursery schools, another 130 in nursery schools of the Generalitat and 193 in nursery and primary schools . Therefore, in the next academic year 2021-2022, with the new 35 classrooms, the CEIPs will offer a total of 228 2-year classrooms, thereby raising the global offer to the 870 units mentioned, which add up to about 17.000 school places.
