Legislature ends with a spending spree

THE Balearic government is ending the legislature with a spending spree on schools.
Yesterday, it approved expenditure of nearly nine million euros on improvements to the education network in the Balearics, for the construction or expansion of nine schools, four of them in Palma. Francesc Quetglas, the public works, transport and housing minister, acting as government spokesman, expressed satisfaction at the agreement reached with the Palma city council, after negotiations had been blocked for some time. Now, he said, the government and the city council will build a new school at Son Pisà, with six classrooms for infants and six for primary education. The plot of land is 8'000 square metres, and the school will have a capacity of 400 pupils. This school will take up the largest slice of the budget, as it will cost 3.79 million euros.
The government will spend 1.2 million euros on expanding the infants section of the Marian Aguiló school, also in Palma. The number of classrooms will be increased from four to nine and a kitchen and dining room will be built. A further 400'000 euros will be spent on improving the electricity, heating and plumbing at the Sol Rul.lan and Es Vivero schools.
Quetglas said that in the past there had been difficulties with the city council because it “did not have the same attitude towards collaboration as other town councils.” In Inca, the Llevant school will be equipped with an indoor playground and a new access will be built, while at the Ponent school, the kitchen and dining room will be expanded, a new library built and improvements made to the heating system. A new school will be built in Muro. It will have six classrooms for infants, 12 for primary education and will cost 2.3 million pesetas.
In Llucmajor, it will build an indoor sports facility at the school and finally, in Ibiza, it will carry out repairs to the Sa Graduada school.
In addition to the schools, the government approved 1.2 million euros for training courses aimed at the jobless.
It has also approved a plan on social exclusion, under which 1'700 families will receive a “social salary.” Quetglas said that there are nearly 7'000 families forced to live on less than 150 euros a month and a further 34'000 with less than 300 euros. Finally, the government approved minimum services in all its departments for the two hour general stoppage planned for April 10.