Back to school: Over 800,000 students return

A total of 807,570 students returned to the classroom on September 9, an increase of 2,500 from the previous year despite the ongoing decline in birth rates.

The student distribution includes 98,520 in Castellón, 408,850 in Valencia, and 301,200 in Alicante.

The falling birth rates pose challenges for the Ministry of Education, making it harder to avoid closing classrooms each year.

Student Ratios

However, to combat this, the ministry has lowered the minimum student ratios in 69 municipalities.

In depopulated areas, the minimum number of students required to maintain a classroom has been reduced from six to four.

This year, 82,180 teachers are employed, 533 more than last year.

Mobile Phone Ban

This marks the first full school year with a ban on mobile phones in classrooms.

Implemented in May, just three weeks before the previous academic year ended, this rule now fully takes effect.

School administrators anticipate needing to confiscate many devices to enforce the regulation.

Negative Impact

The decision followed a study whose findings revealed that mobile phones were a source of conflict and negatively impacted the classroom environment.

Students are now required to turn off their phones upon entering the school premises and can only use them with explicit permission from school management, such as in cases of medical necessity (e.g., checking insulin levels for diabetic students).