Education will allocate 132 million in 2022 to scholarships and aid for transport and dining

The Department of Education of the Basque Government will allocate in 2022 an item of 132 million euros for scholarships and complementary support services, such as transport and school meals (63.3 million for scholarships and 69 million for dining and transportation) for the non-university stage, within its commitment to an “inclusive and plural” school, which requires a “firm commitment” in the policies to be developed.

Along the same lines, aimed at addressing diversity and students with special educational needs, the Department of Education will invest 44 million euros in hiring specialist educational support staff.

The Minister of Education, Jokin Bildarratz, accompanied by his team of vice-counselors and vice-counselors, presented this afternoon in the Basque Parliament the budget drawn up by his Department for next year 2022, which includes an item of 3,235 million euros, which represents an increase of 127 million euros .

With the aim of reinforcing the commitment to the digital transformation required by the educational system as a whole, for next year the effort made this year will continue. The 59.4 million euros will be allocated, fundamentally, to the acquisition of computers for students, the training of students and to promote innovative projects in educational centers.

In relation to the Vocational training, the Department of Education continues with its commitment to improve the training received by students, “continuously adapting to the changing needs required by companies in the Basque Country”.

The increase in the number of students and the increasing complexity of training processes, with the implementation, for example, of high-performance vocational training, requires further training of teachers in digitalization and intelligent processes, therefore, after a increase of 83%, the budget contemplates an item of 1.6 million euros for this purpose.

With regard to the scope of universities and research, the Minister of Education has stated that he continues to bet “firmly” on continuing to support the Basque University Ecosystem, with “excellence” as an objective.

Funding for the university coordination policy will have an item of 404 million euros.

In relation to the pandemic, Bildarratz has pointed out that it is about guaranteeing presence in the classrooms, at the same time that it has defended the consolidation of teachers and educational personnel, so that next year they will be offered more than 1000 seats in the new OPE, as already advanced on Radio Euskadi last october. “At the moment we are closing the final figure with the social agents,” he reported.