The labor future of the educational technical assistants (ATE) in Ibiza has returned to the center of the debate. A total of 1,500 signatures collected in the Pitiusas have been presented to the Ministry of Education to demand that these workers, essential in the care of students with special educational needs (SEN), have annual contracts that guarantee stability and better working conditions. Throughout the Balearic Islands, the initiative has garnered more than 6,600 supporters.
Precarious hiring and loss of rights
The current situation of these professionals is complicated. Many of them work under discontinuous contracts, which leaves them unemployed during the summer months and prevents them from receiving their salaries on a regular basis. This instability affects not only their income, but also labor rights such as extra pay or contributions throughout the year.
Despite being essential public employees within the education system, their contractual situation places them at a disadvantage compared to other workers in the administration.
The lack of stable contracts generates inequalities within the group itself, since only a part of the educational technical assistants in the Balearic Islands have 12-month contracts, as reported by Diario de Ibiza.
Impact on educational quality
The problem affects not only the workers, but also the care received by students with special needs. The lack of staff stability hinders the continuity of educational programs and generates constant changes in the support teams, affecting the relationship between the assistants and the students who require specialized and constant attention.
The loss of professionals during the summer months is also an added difficulty when it comes to planning the start of the school year, as many schools must face the uncertainty of not knowing if they will have the necessary staff to attend to all students with special needs.
A problem that recurs every year
The group of educational technical assistants has long been calling for a definitive solution to end the precariousness of hiring. However, so far, the administrations have not responded to this demand.
The presentation of these signatures seeks to make the situation visible and to press for the adoption of measures to guarantee the job stability of these workers and, therefore, better attention in the educational centers.
