ISSUE NO. 1441
14 - 20 FEBRUARY 2013
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
High-spend schools turning out dunces By EWN reporter Lisa Steward WHILE more money is spent educating children in Balearic state schools than elsewhere in Spain, their academic results are poor.
Each Balearic state school place costs €7,300 a year, making the islands the seventh highest spenders nationally. But good academic results have been sorely lacking, with 23.9 per cent of children failing to pass their final primary school assessment, the Balearic Family Policy Institute (IPFB) announced. The Balearic Islands are bottom of the
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CHILDREN PERFORMING LOWER: More spending in schools does not mean higher academic results. Spanish region rankings, lower than the national average of 83.7 per cent, meaning an
average failure rate of 16.3 per cent. Other communities Turn to Page 4
Government cuts blamed for spread of flu epidemic MALLORCA’S current record-breaking flu epidemic has been blamed on the government’s newest law restricting sick leave pay. According to the latest data released by the Balearic Flu-Watch
Network, flu cases last week surpassed epidemic levels with 96.24 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants, even though cases remain below the national average of 201.71 cases per 100,000. Local trades union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) blames the rise on cuts in healthcare workers’ sick pay, forcing them to go to THE authorities in Pont d’Inca, Palma, have work ill and thus arrested a 51-year-old woman in connection spreading contagious flu with a series of jewellery thefts from homes to co-workers and she was employed to clean. patients. The woman was apprehended after They have demanded allegedly attempting to sell the items in local thorough evaluation and pawnshops. changes to halt the current trend.
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NEWS EXTRA
Marratxi all to pot SIX-HUNDRED marijuana plants found in a ‘foreigner’s’ Marratxi home may mean a five-year jail sentence for the suspect, with the possibility of deportation if it’s found that his official papers are not in order, Local Police report.
Flash mob THE organisation One for all-All for One plans to organise a flash mob today (Thursday) at 3:30pm in Palma’s Plaza Mayor to promote the end of violence against women. People congregate seemingly randomly and perform a rehearsed routine in public.
Star-gazing THE Astronomic Observatory of Mallorca will be putting its telescopes at the public’s disposal to observe the 2012 DA14 Asteroid’s near pass to the earth tomorrow (Friday) at 10.30pm.