The Provincial Directorate of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports (MEFPyD) in Melilla has roundly denied the statements issued by a trade union organization, accusing the Ministry of “preventing” students of the Degree in Primary Education from carrying out their academic practices in concerted centers in the city.
Given the information published and in order to avoid misunderstandings, the Provincial Directorate has wanted to make a series of clarifications on the procedure for selecting centers for the realization of practices of students of the Degree in Primary Education.
The Provincial Director, Elena Fernández Treviño, wanted to place on record first of all the gratitude and recognition for the fundamental work carried out by the centers concerted as collaborators in the practical training of the future teachers. “Their participation is, has been and will continue to be valuable to the education system,” he said.
As set out in the orders regulating the selection procedure for training centres and teacher tutors, the Ministry, within the scope of its competences, is responsible for determining which centres and which tutors participate in each course in the training programme. These decisions are made according to technical and organizational criteria, with the aim of optimizing the resources available in the network maintained with public funds.
In this sense, the current planning confirms that the existing supply in the centers of public ownership covers the demand of the students in this specific phase. “This does not imply, in any case, the exclusion of the concerted centers from the process nor does it imply modifying our policy of collaboration,” the Provincial Director has made clear.
No exclusionary measure
Fernández Treviño explained that the use of the public network to respond to the needs of tutoring in this specific period is a legal, organizational and temporary measure. “It does not mean the end of the collaboration with the concerted centers, which continue to be fully recognized as training centers,” he said.
In the event that the demand for internship tutors increases or it is necessary to expand the network’s capacity, the Provincial Directorate has recalled that the collaboration will extend to all the centres supported with public funds, both public and concerted, in order to guarantee the best possible training of the students of Magisterium.
For this reason, the Provincial Directorate has firmly rejected the expression “attack” used by some agents and has stressed that no exclusionary or discriminatory measures have been adopted.
The decision is in accordance with the law in force, is fully in accordance with the applicable regulations and with the Law on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, and aims to simplify and facilitate the management of practices at a given time.
“In no case are we talking about a change of model or a break in collaboration. We will continue to work together with all the centres supported with public funds, because they are all essential in the training of future teachers”, concluded Fernández Treviño
Finally, the Provincial Directorate has called for prudence and responsibility in disseminating information that affects the functioning of the educational system and university students.