In Soo the 1-2 year-old class has already filled all 14 places, and 36 more are coming in Costa Teguise

One figure says more than a lot of statements: the class for one- and two-year-olds at the CEIP in Soo has filled all fourteen places. Soo is a small village, and fourteen families signing up at once means the service was genuinely needed.

What is new

Teguise town hall is backing its escuelas unitarias — the small village schools with few, mixed classes — and provision for the 0-3 age range, which is where families are left most exposed.

In Costa Teguise, the Canary Islands education department has built a new room for two- to three-year-olds, with space for 36 children. The work is finished, but the room is not yet in use: the council hopes it can join the provision during this school year.

Why it matters

Mayor Olivia Duque puts her finger on the real point: Teguise is a very large municipality, and bringing services to each village means a family in Soo does not have to put a child in the car every morning to take them somewhere else. 'Families need nearby, good-quality options,' she says, 'and we want our children to be able to reach them whichever village they live in.'

Education councillor Mar Boronat adds that planning has to account for the character of each village — the difference between a policy written at a desk and one that works.