Ten schools and institutes in Benidorm will receive reading and math tutoring classes to improve student performance

Ten public schools in Benidorm will receive support in reading and math during the 2025-2026 academic year to improve their students' skills and academic performance. Benidorm City Councillor for Education, Maite Moreno, explained that these schools will participate in the Reading Skills Reinforcement and Maths Skills Reinforcement programs, promoted by the Ministry of Education. These programs are aimed at students with low academic performance in one or both subjects. The goal is to "provide tools to reverse these students' poor results and help them continue their education under the best possible conditions."

Maite Moreno reported that the ten centres have voluntarily joined these programs, through which they will develop plans aimed at improving their students' ability to understand written texts, as well as enhancing their understanding of mathematics at the primary, secondary, and basic vocational training levels. Of these, seven are middle schools and three are high schools, so she added that "this reinforcement will be able to reach a large number of children and adolescents in our city" who have difficulties in these areas.

Specifically, five schools will participate in the Reading Skills Reinforcement program: Bautista Lledó, Miguel Hernández, Puig Campana, Serra Gelada, and L'Almadrava High School. While nine schools will participate in the Mathematical Skills Reinforcement program: Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Gabrel Miró, and Serra d'Aitana Primary Schools, along with Bautista Lledó, Miguel Hernández, Puig Campana, and Serra Gelada, which will participate in both schools. The Bernat de Sarrià and Mediterrània Secondary Schools (IESs) indicated the Councillor for Education.

Both programs arose from the need to take action following the results recorded by Spain in the PISA 2022 report, and also benefit from state funding for their implementation.

Regarding the reinforcement of reading skills, Maite Moreno explained that schools are expected to receive individualised training and counselling, as well as additional staffing. The specific objectives of this program are to provide personalised support to students, address the gender gap in reading skills, train teachers in literacy methodologies and strategies for developing reading skills in different formats, and advise and support schools in developing specific plans to improve reading skills.

Regarding the reinforcement of the ability to develop and apply mathematical reasoning to solve problems, schools are also expected to receive individualised training and counselling through a network of 22 advisors, as well as additional staffing and funding for the purchase of materials. The specific objectives of this program are to provide personalised attention to students, address the gender gap in mathematical proficiency, train mathematics teachers in methodologies and strategies for competency-based mathematics learning, and advise and support schools in developing specific plans to improve mathematical proficiency.

Municipal aid

Finally, the Councillor for Education noted that Benidorm City Council "has been promoting programs to improve the skills of our students for years, especially through educational reinforcement grants, which last year reached a total of 230 primary and secondary school students, with an investment of €69,000 during the first half of the year."

"These grants are awarded to all students nominated by the schools themselves, who receive a monthly stipend of €50 to attend tutoring classes at local academies that collaborate with this program," explained Moreno, who added that, "with these educational programs now promoted by the Regional Ministry, we are joining forces to improve the skills of children and adolescents and helping them achieve better academic results."