The cultural and ethic makeup of schools in Marbella is increasingly diverse due to the large number of children from foreign families who have settled in the area, a report has stated.

According to southern Spanish newspaper Sur, several new initiatives have been developed to help teachers cope with the variety of nationalities now present in the region’s schools, including the Temporary Classes for Linguistic Adaptation scheme, which is run by teachers who specialise in giving Spanish lessons to foreign pupils.

Figures from the Junta de Andalucia show that 22.8 per cent of children attending school in Marbella are of non-Spanish nationality, compared to a provincial average of nine per cent.

Manual Mellado, director of the Centro del Profesorado in Marbella, said that the mixture of pupils creates a "very enriching" school environment for both children and teachers, although he admitted that it can also present a "real challenge".

Joaquin Perea, head of the Inter-culturality department of the provincial education authorities, revealed that foreign pupils are encouraged to understand their own culture as well as learn Spanish.

"There are workshops to support and maintain their grasp of their native languages so they don’t become illiterate in their own language, because otherwise they stop reading and writing in it," he explained.

Plans for a new high-speed motorway link between the Costa del Sol and Ronda were recently released by the Junta de Andalucia.