Compulsory education must be free throughout the Spanish state. Despite this, most subsidized schools require the payment of irregular fees to families for compulsory education.
These irregularities occur in both secular and religious concerted schools.
What does the LOMCE say?
The law is very clear about it. In the article 88 of the LOMCE Regarding the guarantee of free education, we read: To guarantee the possibility of enrolling all students without discrimination for socioeconomic reasons, in no case may public or private schools receive amounts from families for receiving free education, impose on families the obligation to make contributions to foundations or associations or establish compulsory services associated with education that require financial contributions from the students' families. Extracurricular activities, complementary activities, and school services are excluded from this category, which, in any case, will be voluntary.
The law also says that the educational administrations will be in charge of providing the centers with the necessary resources to make this free teaching possible.
Según un OCU report presented in May of this year, the cost of the fees required of families reaches 501 euros per year.
Payments are requested for the provision of services such as school insurance (mandatory only from the third year of ESO), psycho-pedagogical office, increased hours ... without informing that it is something voluntary, without the families knowing that they have the option of renouncing these services.
There are also irregularities in the management of extracurricular activities. Only in the Community of Madrid, after a inspection of 522 concerted centers 167 were detected and a file was opened for irregularities committed in the management of extracurricular activities. Facts such as not informing families of the voluntary nature of these activities, offering them in bulk without breaking down or not correctly informing the administration are some of these irregularities.
What if irregularities are detected?
When irregularities are detected in an educational inspection, a sanctioning file is opened and the center is given time to correct the deficiencies. After this time, if the error has not been corrected, the administration must open a Conciliation Commission composed of the head of the center, a person from the School Council and another representing the administration that agrees on measures to correct it.
The center must compulsorily comply with the agreements reached in said commission. Failure to do so will result in financial sanctions, including withdrawal from the educational concert.