Benidorm honors the more than 60 children who have participated in this year’s Summer Educational Support Programme

Benidorm City Council recognised the efforts made this summer by the city’s 64 primary school students who took part in the Summer Educational Support Programme (PAEV) during July and August. The programme, run by the Department of Education, is designed to provide academic support to children and their families ahead of the start of the new school year. All the students received certificates at an event held at the Casa del Fester Diego Cano Enguera, attended by Benidorm Mayor Toni Pérez, Councillor for Education Maite Moreno, municipal teaching staff, as well as the children’s parents and other family members.

The closing ceremony for this year’s programme also served as an opportunity to say farewell to two municipal employees who have worked in the Education Department for almost three decades and have helped educate hundreds of children through the programme: Mercedes and Inés, who will be retiring shortly. The Mayor highlighted that the two women, together with their colleague Mercedes, who retired last year, “have devoted their summers for many years to helping and teaching many children like you, while many people go on holiday or take a break.” Pérez congratulated and thanked both employees for dedicating their “vocation and professionalism” to “educating others.” He then called for a round of applause, which was met with a standing ovation from everyone attending.

This year, the PAEV ran from 6 July to 25 August. It is aimed at children aged between 6 and 12 who are in Years 1 to 6 of Primary Education, whose families are registered as residents of Benidorm, and who either did not achieve the expected academic results during the previous school year or have difficulties with Spanish language proficiency or studying. Once again, the programme was held in the classrooms of Leonor Canalejas public school, where throughout the summer the children attended lessons in subjects including Mathematics, Spanish Language, Valencian and English. They also worked on study techniques, as well as attention games and verbal and mathematical reasoning exercises, to improve their performance ahead of the new academic year.

Following a joint congratulatory message to all the students and their families from one of the teachers in charge of the programme, Mayor Toni Pérez spoke to thank the PAEV educational team for “facilitating access to educational resources for those who need them most.” He also praised the children’s “commitment” and the “effort you have made throughout this summer.”

The Mayor also recalled that during July and August, “thousands of children in Benidorm have taken part in different activities” organised by the City Council to support work-life balance, as well as activities provided by private organisations. However, he told the children that “one of the most important is the one you have done, studying and learning to become a little better every day.”

Finally, he also thanked the families for “their confidence in the PAEV” over other types of summer leisure activities, stressing that the programme is “a great resource for our sons and daughters, a great help for families to balance their responsibilities, but above all, a way for these children to address any educational needs they may have and continue improving year after year.”

For her part, Councillor for Education Maite Moreno recalled that, to make the programme more accessible to families, reduced fees have been established for large families, single-parent families, families with members with disabilities, foster families, and families whose parents or guardians hold a Youth Card, or are retired or receiving a pension. The programme was also completely free for special large or single-parent families, as well as for families with members with a disability of more than 33%.

In addition, the City Council provides 100% scholarships covering participation in the PAEV for children whose families apply for financial assistance because they do not have sufficient financial resources. Moreno said that this year, the City Council awarded scholarships to a total of 13 students, thereby meeting all the applications received.

The activities took place from Monday to Friday, in two daily sessions according to age group. The first session, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., was attended by students in Years 2, 4 and 6 of Primary Education, while the second session, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., was for students in Years 1, 3 and 5. The programme focused on reinforcing the school curriculum and teaching study and concentration techniques, as well as other games and skills aimed at improving the students’ academic performance.