Happy, with his new ‘Rayo Mcqueen’ backpack, two-year-old Alberto returned to class on the 1st after a well-deserved holiday. He was excited to be back, accompanied by his mother and his older sister, hoping to see his ‘teach’ and his ‘little friends’ again. You could tell that he is one of the oldest and that he is already perfectly adapted. “For my son it is already his last year of nursery school, so he is happy to return. The teachers are charming and the atmosphere in this nursery school is great”, said his mother, Amanda Rosaleny, who was at ease on the first day of ‘back to school’ for the first cycle of Early Childhood Education.

The first to return to the classrooms after the school holidays have been the youngest, from 0 to 3 years of age. In Mijas, more than 400 children began the 2021-2022 academic year in the municipal Nursery Schools on the 1st.

“Today the nursery schools have opened their doors and the first day has gone by with total normality, although this year we are starting up again all antiCOVID safety and hygiene measures”, said the councillor for Infant Schools, Verónica Ensberg (PSOE), on a visit to the centres to see in person how the course had started.

“We teachers have started the year with great anticipation”,  commented Ana Lebrón, director of the Europa Infant School in La Cala, who added that “the most important thing is that there is normality. We  are always inventing things for the children to have fun. For them the world is colourful and it is all fun, so for us it is the same”.

The director of the E.I. El Limonar and also the E.I. Virgin de la Peña in Mijas Pueblo, Anabel Perea stated: “We are very happy with the reincorporation and giving a lot of love and attention to the children, they will surely adapt soon”.

As for adjustment days, municipal nursery schools have reduced hours and staged entries so that the incorporation of the little ones into the classrooms is more bearable.

“Some take it well, especially those who are repeating, but there are others who find it harder. The same goes for the parents, as there are some who leave their child while shedding a tear, but it is normal”, assured Lebrón.

As Juan Jesús Moreno, father of a 9-month-old girl who is joining nursery school for the first time this year, recognised: “I don’t know if the parents or the children are going to have a worse time, especially her mother. After nine months attached to her, it is difficult for her to leave her, really”.

Another first-time father, Antonio José Barranquero, also acknowledged that he was feeling like “a ball of nerves” on the first day. “I think I am more nervous than my child”, he assured.

Safe schools

Like last year, once again this year all safety and hygiene measures are maintained due to the pandemic.

The schools have worked a lot these past weeks so that everything is prepared, so that families are not only calm, because their children will be well cared for, but also with total tranquility and security”, Ensberg said. “Another course has started without knowing how everything is going to go due to the issue of the pandemic, but we are not going to lower our guard at any time. We are very demanding with security measures because we believe that it should be that way for the good of all”, said Lebrón. Perea also said the same: “We have different access doors and the same anticovid security measures as last year”.

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