Bill proposes free schoolbooks in primary and secondary education

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill would make textbooks and curricular materials free for all students in primary education, compulsory secondary education and basic vocational training at publicly funded schools, including special education schools. Free access would work through a loan system, not direct aid.
2. The loan system would rest on principles such as responsible use of goods, respect and cooperation between families and schools. The books would belong to the education administrations, which would buy them and hand them over to schools.
3. Each Autonomous Community would set up a monitoring committee with plural representation of the education community. The committee would publish a report every school year on beneficiary students and materials purchased.
4. The Autonomous Communities could extend free materials to non-compulsory stages such as early childhood education, Bachillerato (upper secondary) or mid and higher-level vocational training. Aid programs could also be created for non-reusable school supplies and digital book devices.
5. Printed books could not include spaces to write in, except in first and second grades of primary school and for students with special educational needs. Digital books would have to be downloadable so students can use them without an internet connection.
6. Chosen editions could not be replaced for at least four school years, except in justified exceptional cases. The rollout schedule would be set by regulation after hearing the Sectoral Conference on Education.

Who it affects

• Families with children in basic education: They would no longer pay for textbooks and curricular materials, which they would receive on loan.
• Students at publicly funded schools, including special education schools: They would be the beneficiaries of the right to free materials and the loan system.
• Autonomous Communities: They would have to fund the purchase and replacement of books and create a monitoring committee.
• Schools and state-subsidized private schools: They would choose the books and manage the loan system; subsidized private schools could join it.
• Students in non-compulsory stages such as early childhood or Bachillerato: They could be included if their Autonomous Community extends the right.

Words worth knowing

Material curricular (curricular materials)

Teaching resources, on any medium, needed to follow a subject, including any material required from students.

Centro sostenido con fondos públicos (publicly funded school)

A school that receives public money, whether public or state-subsidized private.

Centro concertado (state-subsidized private school)

A private school that receives public funds in exchange for offering school places.

Conferencia Sectorial de Educación (Sectoral Conference on Education)

A body where the central government and the Autonomous Communities meet on education matters.

Ley Orgánica (Organic Law)

A special type of Spanish law reserved for specific matters, requiring a stronger parliamentary majority to pass.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries