December 13, 2023.- The Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, Pilar Alegría, announced today the holding of a meeting in January with the autonomous communities to regulate the use of mobile phones in educational centers. This was conveyed to him during the meeting of the Sectoral Conference on Education held today.
Alegría has stressed the need to address this issue “with a coordinated proposal and from unity. Education cannot be the answer to everything, but it must be part of the solution.”
The minister has transferred to the councilors and regional councilors the proposal of departure of the Ministry, which establishes a use of zero minutes a Primary and in Secondary the use will be carried out under supervision and demand of the teacher. In addition, the Ministry is committed to continue working on the digital training of teachers and students to achieve a correct and healthy use of mobile devices, and knowledge of the risks and benefits of it.
Alegría, who has announced that he will also address this issue with the State School Council, where the educational community is represented, has pointed out that “it is our obligation and interest to ensure that minors can have a healthy and healthy relationship with technological means.”
Social Security Contribution of VET Practices
During the meeting, the next entry into force, on January 1, 2024, of the Social Security contributions of the practices of the students of Vocational Training has also been addressed. “An improvement of high added value for thousands and thousands of students, and that brings more tranquility to the companies where they do the internships and the educational centers to which they belong,” as the minister explained. “This is a huge leap forward for the prestige and attractiveness of Vocational Training,” he added.
This measure will mean that VET students will be critical for the internship time they do in companies, which will be at least 25% of the teaching hours, according to the new Vocational Training Law. The Social Security will repay 95% of the contributions and the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports will finance the remaining 5% in 2024.
Green light to share 330 million euros
On the other hand, the Ministry and the autonomous communities have approved the distribution of about 330 million euros corresponding to four territorial cooperation programs linked to FP, Early Childhood Education, programming and robotics education, and the schooling of displaced persons due to the war in Ukraine.
The regional governments will receive 143 million euros for the creation of 76,479 new Vocational Training places. In addition, they will receive the last tranche of funding from the programme to boost schooling in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education (142.4 million euros), which will allow the creation of 21,794 public and free places from 0 to 3 years.
The agreement reached today by the Sectoral Conference also involves the transfer of 1.6 million euros corresponding to the School Code 4.0 program and 41.9 million euros to cover the expenses derived from the schooling of children and young people displaced to our country by the war in Ukraine.