A new commission to guarantee education
Success in addressing school absenteeism implies the need for collective work and a shared project between all agents that responds to the need to guarantee that children and young people can exercise their right in education This is a key issue for Vilafant City Council, which has set up a commission to fight school absenteeism. Last Thursday, the first meeting of this body was held, formed by the educational community, the area inspector, social services, the councilor for Education, Meritxell Novillo, and the mayoress, Montse De La Llave.
Early detection and prevention
After the pandemic, the admission guarantee commission was created. These bodies guarantee the participation of sectors of the educational community in the pre-registration process. Now the government team has taken a step further: “It is important to highlight that, although the level of absenteeism in primary school is low due to its compulsory nature, in high school there has been a increase after the pandemic”, explains the mayoress. This has motivated the early detection of cases to avoid prolonged absenteeism over time. “Although it is not mandatory, it has also been implemented in kindergartens in order to prevent situations in which parents do not pick up their children, with the aim of ensuring the well-being of children and their families.”
Slow down existing cases
Absenteeism rates are not worrying in general in Vilafant, the mayor states, “but we want to prevent the cases detected from 1st and 2nd ESO onwards from increasing”. The increase in the problem after the pandemic is particularly noteworthy. “The emotional situation of the students after this period is also relevant, as some have experienced emotional problems that have affected their academic performance.”
A living and collaborative protocol
The City Council has created a living protocol that will change over time. This protocol has been provided to schools and institutes, social services, the EAP service (Psychopedagogical counseling and guidance teams) and the Inspectorate. The participation of other agents such as the CAP or the municipal guards is not ruled out. It is planned to hold regular meetings to follow up on detected cases and determine the actions to be taken.