- The Basque Government will subsidize for the first time the teaching materials needed by the 3rd and 4th grade students of ESO for the next course, responding to the historical demand of EHIGE, the Association of Fathers and Mothers of Students of Euskal Herria. Families with children at these levels will therefore have to reduce economic spending from now on.
Until now, the program of support to curricular materials covered up to 2 ESO and has now been extended to the last course of ESO. This supposes that the program of subsidy of the expenditure that is carried out in teaching material will be destined to all students of Primary Education and Compulsory Secondary Education in public centers.
Despite the proliferation of loan, re-use or second-hand textbook markets, school material expenditure continues in some households
Precisely, last year in ARGIA we counted the expenditure made by the father of a 4th grade student of the ESO that has not so far been subsidised: Ainhoa paid 223 euros in six 4th ESO textbooks, four new edition books of that course, without the possibility of reusing the rest, "either family, friends, or second-hand platforms." Despite the proliferation of loan, re-use or second-hand textbook markets, school material expenditure remains considerable in some households. For example, if adaptations have been made in a textbook of a given subject and level and have taken out a new edition, there will be no choice but to buy it. The 100% digital textbooks have also become commonplace since the 5th grade of Primary.
EUR 103 in the ESO
Through this aid programme, the Basque Government’s Department of Education will contribute EUR 35 per elementary school student, and families will pay between EUR 27 and 31 per school material according to the level. In that, the Department of Education will contribute 103 euros per student, while families will pay between 41 and 45 euros per student.
Municipalities also grant special aid to cover the cost of textbooks.