The Madrid town councils that sign up for the new program of classes outside school hours and the school period that the Community of Madrid has just launched will be able to demand that families pay a fee to register their children, as is customary in the activities that Municipalities already organize them with prices that are normally much lower than in private centers. This is reflected in the regulatory provision of the plan that was published this Wednesday in the Official Gazette of the region (BOCM), and which contextualizes the impact of the 12 million euros with which the Executive of Isabel Díaz Ayuso will finance the project: As the approach is intended for 310,000 students in 800 public preschool, primary and secondary schools, the planned investment per attendee would be 38 euros. With that money, it would be necessary to cover an extracurricular program for the entire course and activities outside the school period (Christmas, Easter, long weekends, and from September 1 to the beginning of classes). If it is not enough, the City Councils may require the beneficiaries to pay.
“In the event that the cost of developing the activities that are the subject of the project presented and authorized is higher than the amount of aid granted, the local entity will assume said cost,” reads the document published by the Government in the BOCM. “Local entities may determine fees that must be contributed by the students’ families,” he adds.
This provision clarifies the doubts that the initiative had generated in opposition parties such as the PSOE. “With 38.7 euros, are they going to finance ‘support activities, directed study and reinforcement activities, languages, sports or artistic initiatives during all school days?'” Esteban Álvarez, socialist deputy, asked when learning about the content of the program. in the Madrid Assembly. And “sports activities and activities related to training in first aid or nutrition and healthy habits, among others” for non-school days? “He continued. “It is manifestly insufficient,” concluded Álvarez.
In this way, the program will foreseeably co-finance extracurricular support activities, directed study and reinforcement activities in the majority of centers; languages; sports; or artistic activities. And the same will happen outside the school period for activities centered around sports, or learning languages, music, healthy habits, first aid, actions in emergency situations, or nutrition.
The attendance of students from private centers will be “at the mercy” of the decisions of the city councils, as explained last week by the government spokesperson, Miguel Ángel García, since the regional regulations will not put any limits on them, although they will prioritize students from private schools. the public.
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The initiative to finance extracurricular activities with public money fulfills an electoral promise of Ayuso. The president advanced in March 2023, just before the May elections, that in 2024 there would be public centers that would open outside of school hours so that parents could leave their children and continue working. That announcement, however, was restricted to Kindergarten and Primary students. Now Secondary is added, and it is extended, if there are places, to students from private centers. High school students would be left out.
Then, as now, it was left up in the air which professionals will be in charge of caring for students outside of school hours, with what qualifications and what their working conditions will be. In fact, the provision known this Wednesday barely details that it will be possible for this work to be carried out by volunteers and that they must present a negative certification from the Central Registry of Sexual Offenders.
“The reconciliation of family and work life is encouraged in a flexible way because it is a service that can be used depending on the hours needed,” the PSOE of Madrid then explained. “Child poverty is being fought because children are guaranteed two healthy meals,” he added. “And, by promoting conciliation, reductions in working hours or unwanted leaves of absence that reduce family income are avoided,” he continued. And he pointed out: “Minors who attend subsidized centers will be able to use the conciliation service at their nearest public center.”
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