Nearly half of private kindergartens empty, while public ones are overcrowded
3,700 children in Barcelona will not have a place in a public kindergarten this year, 45% of those who applied
Private kindergartens are still unable to fill their vacancies, while the public ones still leave many children without a place.
For the upcoming 2024/2025 school year, 44% of the places in private kindergartens will be empty, according to the Catalan Association of Kindergartens.
Specifically, one in three places for 2-year-olds, one in four for 1-year-olds, and more than half of the places for 0-year-olds will be empty.
Meanwhile, many children have been denied a place in public kindergartens.
Last month, the Catalan News Agency (ACN) revealed that around 3,700 children in Barcelona will not have a place in a public kindergarten this year, 45% of those who applied.
"The kindergarten we applied to had 30 vacancies for 80 applicants. Two out of three of us were left without a place," says Eixample resident Natàlia.
For this reason, the association has offered the government use of the vacancies in private kindergartens to meet the demand.
"It is a shame that these places are not being used, considering the large number of children who have been left out of the public education system at such an important stage," said the association's president, Conxita Pericó.
The association has asked the government to find a solution, defending that the best formula is an educational network formed by different entities, with collaboration between private and public kindergartens.
32% of students at risk of poverty
The NGO Educo denounced that 32.5% of Catalan students are at risk of poverty and exclusion.
They also warn that only 15% of students receive free lunch meals and that the problem gets worse in secondary education, as only 14% of secondary schools offer lunch service.
For this reason, Educo says, one in four families has difficulty providing a nutritious and complete diet for their children.
"These homes have limited resources and it is very difficult to fill the fridge, they need a free lunch meal," said Educo director Guiomar Todó.
