Among the flagship measures of the Andalusian Government’s budgets for 2025 is free preschool education for two years. The amount will be limited, because this initiative This will only have an impact in the last quarter of the yearbut its consolidation will be a condition for the accounts of future years. This is why the Ministry of Educational Development has set a deadline of six years for this same measure to be implemented for boys and girls under the age of two.
To begin, the Junta de Andalucía must evaluate the response of families to the implementation of free education over the next two years. In these moments, 48,753 minors at this educational level are registered in public and private centers around half of whom already benefit from subsidies of up to 100% due to their economic situation. The regional government’s estimate is that by introducing total free access, the number of minors will increase by 37% to reach around 67,000 children of this age in Andalusia.
“Two-year education is a great opportunity and that is why we want it to reach everyone while maintaining the current model in which we have 125,000 places. It’s a model that works and is successful.», Explained the Minister of Educational Development and Vocational Training, Carmen Castillo.
From there, gradually and over a period of six years, it is planned to reach children at educational levels of 0 and 1 year. Currently, 53,000 minors of these ages are registered.. But free access could increase the scope of this advantage.
Hence the prudence of the Ministry’s calculations. “We have given ourselves a maximum period of six years to gradually see the operation and its budgetary impact. This is a maximum, but now we are negotiating with the sector. If we can, it will be cut” declared the advisor, who recalled that if the 112 million returned by European funds had been available, “Andalusia could have assumed them”. This money was intended for the expansion of public squares and not for free services. existing places, which is why the Council ended up giving up these funds.
Support from schools
The United Children’s Schools organization described as a “great triumph” the announcement by the President of the Government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, of the implementation of free education at level 2 to 3 years in the first cycle of early childhood education from the next school year 2025/2026. For the organization, it is “a real step in the public-private school model in Andalusia, which we started talking about more than two decades ago”.
“The sector, employers and unions, showed great unity to defend a network of centers which has proven to be a academic successadvance the most innovative aspects of educational development and promote the professional, personal and social balance of families in Andalusia. This model now has very strong support with this progress towards free education and with the intention of creating a roadmap for the months and years to come,” said the Escuelas Infantiles Unidas.
“Without a doubt, even if more slowly than we would have liked, a path of hope is beginning to emerge for a sector that has long struggled to maintain a network of schools necessary for the educational development of the youngest and for the reconciliation and employment of families.added the president of Escuelas Infantiles Unidas, Maribel Uncala.
