Free meals for all students, from pre-school to 12th grade, the provision of workbooks for 1st and 2nd cycle students, the requalification of educational establishments and the awarding of scholarships are some of the support measures for students and their families that the Vila Real de Santo António Council (VRSA) will implement in the 2024/2025 academic year.
The planned measures aim to “guarantee academic success and the well-being of the entire educational community”, according to the VRSA Chamber.
Regarding the provision of workbooks to students in the 1st and 2nd cycles of public education establishments based in the municipality, the measure is justified by the fact that school materials represent “a significant financial burden for many households”.
"This measure represents an investment of around 65 thousand euros and covers around 1200 students, 500 more than last year. The initiative aims to ease families' expenses in the current economic context, creating equal opportunities for all students", reveals the local authority.
Last year, the measure only covered first-cycle students. “However, the local authority decided to extend support to the second cycle in the 2024/2025 academic year.”
“To ensure academic success and the well-being of the educational community, the municipality will also provide financial aid for the purchase of school supplies for 1st cycle students, included in the 1st and 2nd brackets of the family allowance”, it adds.
Another measure highlighted by the VRSA Council is the provision of school meals to all students attending educational establishments in the municipality, from pre-school to 12th grade (around 3350 students), “maintaining the extraordinary measure of extending free meals”.
As part of the protocol for the delegation of powers for the management of school canteens, “around 500 thousand euros were transferred to the School Groups (AE) (350 thousand for AE D. José I and 150 thousand for AE VRSA), and this amount may be increased if necessary”.
The municipality will also provide a kit of teaching materials for all pre-school and 1st cycle classrooms, “allowing teachers to carry out activities with students without the need for constant contact with guardians”.
During this academic year, the City Council will also award 30 scholarships, with a unit value of 100 euros, «to higher education students who belong to needy families, whose household has lived for at least three years in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, and who attend public higher education establishments based in national territory».
At the moment, the local authority is developing the regulations and rules for application and allocation.
In conjunction with the parishes, the municipality of VRSA made available around 80 thousand euros for the Occupation of Free Time for children between the ages of 6 and 12. In the summer of 2024, the project covered around 250 children from Vila Real de Santo António, Monte Gordo and Vila Nova de Cacela.
Another measure is linked to the requalification and maintenance of school spaces, an area in which almost 30 thousand euros will be invested – around 2500 for repairs and maintenance of school kitchens and 25 thousand for the uniforms of all Operational Assistants assigned to the AE.
«At this time, all pre-school and primary school classrooms in the municipality of VRSA are air-conditioned, in order to increase thermal comfort levels for students and teachers. At the same time, 14 thousand euros were invested in modernizing computer equipment in several educational establishments», the Council states.
Much larger will be the investment in the “total requalification” of the D. José I Basic School, which “received financial support of 5.1 million euros, with a view to the modernization and global rehabilitation of its infrastructure and equipment. The measure is part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and will provide significant improvements in the institution’s teaching and learning conditions, directly benefiting its entire educational community”.
According to Álvaro Araújo, Mayor of Vila Real de Santo António, this is “a school opened in 1991, which has never received any substantial work, and which is why it now needs to be completely remodeled”.
The Council also reveals that, "with the aim of significantly reducing the number of students on the waiting list for pre-school education, the municipality invested around 60 thousand euros in the creation of another room in the EB building in Monte Gordo, allowing the integration of 25 more children into public education.”
“The start of another school year brings with it challenges and new opportunities. Our goal is to ensure that all children and their families have the necessary support throughout this journey. These initiatives reinforce the municipality’s commitment to the education and development of our children and young people, offering essential support to the population of Vila Real de Santo António, especially in a demanding socio-economic context”, highlights Álvaro Araújo.
“With these measures, Vila Real de Santo António reaffirms its dedication to working closely with schools, families and the community, creating the conditions for educational success and promoting an increasingly inclusive and enriching learning environment”, concludes the mayor.
Finally, the VRSA local authority “continues to ensure, in the best possible way, the implementation of all its competences in the field of education. An example of this is also the management of school transport, including special circuits, school passes and adapted transport (160 thousand euros), as well as the development of Curricular Enrichment Activities (105 thousand euros)”.
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