In the context of the Next Generation EU instrument, Spain is implementing a Territorial Cooperation Programme of Accompaniment and Guidance Service Units (UAO) for students in situations of educational vulnerability and their families. This programme is considered an innovative measure with a specific function: to accompany the most vulnerable students in their educational paths to prevent failures and promote their learning and school success, in collaboration with other professionals.

In Spain, the legislation establishes that the State may promote territorial cooperation programmes in order to achieve educational objectives of general nature, reinforce the basic skills of students, promote knowledge and appreciation of cultural richness and language of the different Autonomous Communities among students, as well as contributing to inter-territorial solidarity and territorial balance in compensation for inequalities. Throughout the Territorial Cooperation programmes, the different participants jointly adopt most of the decisions that affect the accomplishment of a common objective.

One of these programmes is the Territorial Cooperation Programme of Accompaniment and Guidance Service Units (UAO) for students in situations of educational vulnerability and their families. It will be applied from Primary (ISCED 1) education to the end of ESO (ISCED 2) and Baccalaureate (ISCED 3) in public funded schools and will be developed during the 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years.

These units will accompany and guide students at risk of repeating and dropping out of the educational system, will be located in school zones or districts, will attend to the territorial organization of the educational and psycho-pedagogical guidance teams of the Educational Administrations, and will take into account the uniqueness of the student body in rural areas. This program comes to complement those actions of the PROA+ Territorial Cooperation Programme or others that exist in the area or district, specifically aimed at promoting the school success of students in situations of educational vulnerability.

The program is financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, within the framework of the lever policies of the Recovery Plan, specifically in lever VII, referring to education and knowledge, continuous training and capacity development, and which includes Component 21: Modernization and digitization of the educational system, including early education from 0 to 3 years. This programme plans to create 618 units by 2021, 804 units by 2022 and 1 148 units by 2023.

In order to carry out the implementation of the investment allocated earmarked for the programme, territorial cooperation is established with the educational administrations of the Autonomous Communities, within the framework of the Education Sector Conference, which, with prior authorization from the Council of Ministers, approves the requirements, criteria for territorial distribution of funds, and monitoring of execution. This is all established in a resolution published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado BOE (the Spanish official state bulletin). The Ministry executes the investment, as Educational Administration, in Ceuta and Melilla.

It has a total credit of 124 710 000 euros of which 30 million correspond to the 2021-22 school year, 39 million for the 2022-23 school year, and 55.7 million for the 2023-24 school year.

For further information: https://www.educacionyfp.gob.es/mc/sgctie/cooperacion-territorial/programas-cooperacion/uao.html

Source: Eurydice Unit Spain