Next year, Formentera's 'escoletes' will provide preschool care to 125 children

EscoletaAccording to the Formentera Council's education office, the island's two nurseries, or escoletes, have the resources available to give 125 children early-childhood care. Together, the pair, Sa Miranda and the Escoleta del Camí Vell (“the nursery on the old road” to la Mola), have announced their potential to take in 52 new pupils this autumn. The task of caring for the children falls to 16 instructors at the two schools, a sign, chief of education Susana Labrador said,  “of the Council's serious commitment to Formentera families”.

In 2017-2018, Sa Miranda will comprise seven groups—one for newborns (children born in 2017), three for one- and two-year-olds (infants, born in 2016) and three for two- and three-year-olds (toddlers, born in 2015). Eleven educators will be responsible for the school's 98 pupils and at least one aide will oversee children with special needs.

At Camí Vell there will be two groups, infants and toddlers, and overall capacity for 30. Next year, with three spaces in the toddlers' group left unfilled, the school expects to have a total of 27 pupils. Three people steer instruction at Camí Vell.

The two schools follow similar approaches and staff from the centres meet weekly to coordinate instruction. They also share a kitchen, and a cook and kitchen assistant in charge of daily meals.