J.S.N..Maót he education system in Menorca offers nursery places to a higher percentage of children aged up to three years old than in any other part of Spain. Indeed, the percentage offered places on this island surpasses the figure for all other parts of the European Union.
The figure of 54.28% represents placement in classrooms for 1,676 infants. This compares to the national Spanish average of 16%. In Madrid 25% of under threes are offered a place. Even countries such as Switzerland (48%) and Norway (40%) cannot offer a nursery place to such a high percentage of infants.
The councillor with responsibility for Culture and Education, Mateu Martinez, confirmed that his department aims for a figure of 55%.
Broken down into the threeyear groups, 15% of children under one year old are in nursery education, 65% of those between one and two years old are gaining from the education experience and this figure rises to 85% in the third year.
During the academic year 2003/2004 there were 98 classrooms providing placement for 1,435 pupils. In the academic year just starting there will be 1,676 pupils in 114 classrooms. The newest addition to the school accommodation is Es Pouet infant school in Alaior offering 166 places from this week.
An explanation for such a high provision of educational places for the very young on the island is the large number of young mothers who are employed here, thus increasing the demand for nursery places.
The number of nursery places available in each of the island´s municipalities breaks down as follows in rank order:
Ciutadella offers 569 places, representing placement for 60.6% of the under threes. Maó has 533 places, Alaior 166, Sant Lluís 122, Ferreries 112, Es Mercadal 79, Es Castell 66 and Es Migjorn 29. In the latter case, Es Migjorn offers nursery place s to the highest percentage of children aged under three years old, 64.4%.
