They should be free. They should also only receive money from parents on a voluntary basis. That’s what the charter school law says. Schools which, in more than 70% of cases, charge compulsory fees for concepts of all kinds, sometimes reaching 1,000 euros per month.
These are private centers with public funds which, as Elena Cid, director of the CICAE, says: “we are talking about additional training” and “voluntary contribution” to make parents pay.
“They are essential, not obligatory”
Meanwhile, the subsidized centers deny that these are compulsory payments. “No, they’re not. “They are essential, but not obligatory.”says Oriol Blancher, president of the Catalan School Association.
Carla, mother of a student in a subsidized center, refused to pay. Her decision had consequences for her daughter: “She was left alone, at three years old. Alone in the playground. Either the girl went to the playground, or she did the activities. “It was a lot of pressure.”
And they use the exclusion as a form of pressure. “Those who don’t pay stay standing. When they ask why they can’t do that, we tell them to talk to their parents,” Cid concludes.
