On the past Monday, the courses in the province of Córdoba for early childhood and primary education concluded, followed by the rest of the mandatory teachings the next day, Tuesday, including professional training and the latest type of teachings established during the 24-25 academic year on the educational map of the province.
This was highlighted by the delegate of the Board of Directors in Córdoba, Adolfo Molina, as he balanced the recently completed course, accompanied by the delegate for educational development and vocational training of the Board of Directors in Córdoba, Copé Diego.
Regarding the upcoming academic year, they emphasized that the province will offer the largest professional training offer in its history, with 18,195 spots, all in a dual pathway. This represents an increase of 6,216 spots in the last six years, a 52% rise, with very high employability rates in these teachings, as almost half of the students are eligible to find a job per year upon completing their studies, with 54% in higher degrees.
Eight new authorizations will be granted for the next academic year, a measure that will favor territorial balance and promote economic and social development in areas with lower population density. Additionally, the training offer related to the land army’s logistics base will be strengthened.
Out of these eight authorizations, two will be implemented for the first time in Andalusia. These include the specialized course in the higher degree of Python language application at Transierra IES (Córdoba) and the specialized course in the higher degree of technical inspection and performance of vehicle incidents at IES Zoco (Córdoba).
In terms of education for infants, the Board of Directors offered a total of 11,877 spots for the first cycle of infants (0 to 3 years) in the province, where the enrollment rate increased by 13 points in 2019. In the family aid program, they will be exempt from fees next year. This measure will benefit over 5,600 students in the province of Córdoba.
Moreover, within the aid provided by the Andalusian family board, 76,000 students in Córdoba from mandatory teachings benefited from the free textbook program in this academic year. Almost 41,000 of them received textbooks in 24-25, with the ministry’s investment in this course in the province totaling almost nine million euros.
In addition to the new and future teachings already implemented, the first sound course at CSM Rafael Orozco was successfully completed. Córdoba is the first Andalusian province to offer this type of teaching. Furthermore, Galileo Galilei made a significant step in 24-25 by becoming the first FP center in the province. For the upcoming academic year, two new teachings will be offered in Córdoba, trumpet at the primary conservatory of Juan Mohedo Canales (Montoro) and Spanish for immigrants at the official language school Balma (Palma del Río).
Infrastructure and Equipment
Since 2019, the Andalusian Public Agency (APAE) has completed 315 works in the province of Córdoba, totaling over 60.24 million euros. The actions carried out during the 24-25 academic year represented an investment of nearly 850,000 euros. Some notable projects include those carried out in the school cafeteria at CEIP Virgen de Luna in Villanueva de Córdoba (346,000 euros), at the official language school Corduba in Córdoba (179,000 euros), and at the mayor’s CEIP Jiménez Ruiz in Córdoba (102,000 euros).
Furthermore, the education centers in Córdoba received an injection of 4.5 million euros to improve their facilities through the program. These funds are allocated to both Junta de Andalucía centers (improvements based on projects carried out by the centers themselves) and municipal-owned centers (purchase of necessary materials).
The distribution of equipment to educational centers in Córdoba by APAE in 2019 amounted to over 19 million euros. The majority of this amount, 14.2 million euros, was allocated to appropriate technological materials such as digital panels and portable devices. Deliveries made during the 24-25 academic year had a total value of 7.6 million euros, with 7.3 million specifically designated for technological equipment.
Dining Halls and Teachers
During the 24-25 academic year, four new school dining halls were implemented in Córdoba, bringing the total to 189, along with three morning classrooms, totaling 152 throughout the province. For the following year, approval has already been granted for two new dining halls (CEIP La Paz in Aldea Quintana and Beato CEIP Juan de Ávila in Montilla) and three additional morning classrooms (CEIP Miguel De Cervantes in Villanueva del Rey, CEIP Castillo de Anzur in Puente Genil, and CEIP Fray Albino in Córdoba).
Over 15,400 children were served daily during the 24-25 academic year, resulting in the distribution of approximately 2.7 million meals in the province. Regarding aid provided by the Andalusian board, 67% of families received some form of subsidy for school dining, while 42% of them had total exemption.
Despite a decrease in birth rates, the Public Education System of Córdoba has nearly 1,000 more teachers than in 2018, reaching almost 11,000 educators. These professionals have seen a 22% increase in their salaries over the past six years, with a provisional rate of 5.5%.
Special Education and Diversity
In the field of special education, ten specialized classrooms were introduced in the province, totaling 183, marking a 20% increase compared to the 19-20 academic year. The number of classrooms for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also rose by 25% during this period.
Additionally, the province has seen a 16% increase in specialists in therapeutic pedagogy (PT) and speech and language therapy (AL) compared to six years ago. The number of technical social integration personnel (PIST), which stood at 302 in 24-25, increased by 42% in 2019. These figures are complemented by the presence of 97 specific education and support units established from that year.
The number of PT, AL, and diversity support professionals has also risen in 24-25 due to programs like social transformation areas (82 teachers), transformed ProA+ (48 teachers), and the agreement signed after the Government Council in July last year, leading to an increase of 205 professionals in Córdoba.
Therefore, in terms of school dropout rates, the latest report on children and adolescents in Andalusia indicates that Córdoba has the lowest dropout rate in the region at 8%. The province also boasts the lowest school absenteeism rate, standing at 0.37% in primary school and increasing to 0.81% in secondary school.
In terms of educational stages in Córdoba during the 24-25 academic year, the breakdown was as follows: 17.16 students in early childhood education, 18.76 in primary education, 25.22 in secondary education, and 28.29 in high school. All these indicators are below the average for Andalusia.