Tenerife School Breaks Taboo by Integrating Grief Education into Curriculum

Emotional education is no longer an afterthought; it has become a vital part of daily life in Spanish classrooms. According to a recent report by El Día, the CEIP Juan Cruz Ruiz school in Tenerife has introduced a new approach that incorporates grief and loss into its regular curriculum, breaking the long-standing taboo surrounding death in schools.

This strategy began three years ago after teachers noticed several students struggling with the loss of close family members. Led by principal Daisy Rodríguez Ramos, the school sought specialized training from the Department of Education to better support its students. The goal is simple: to give children the tools they need to process complex emotions, ensuring that silence or confusion does not lead to unnecessary anxiety.

The school has introduced two main initiatives to support this work. The first is a "listening booth," a private space where students can speak openly about their feelings with a trusted teacher. The second is the "Tree of Memories," a mural updated every year around All Souls' Day. Students can place photos, drawings, or names on the tree to honor loved ones or pets, helping to normalize the experience of loss within the school environment.

By encouraging students to express sadness and support one another, the school has created a community where emotional health is treated as a core life skill. As the school marks All Souls' Day, the students at CEIP Juan Cruz Ruiz continue to show that a classroom can—and should—be a safe space for navigating life’s most difficult moments.