The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has reaffirmed his government's commitment to public education and free schooling for children aged 0 to 3 during his visit to the educational centre 'Los Nuberinos' in Gijón. This centre is the first to open in the city as part of the 'Les Escuelines' project initiated by the Principality of Asturias in 2024, aimed at enhancing public services, promoting work-life balance policies, and encouraging population retention in rural areas.
Accompanied by the President of the Principality of Asturias, Adrián Barbón, and the Government Delegate in Asturias, Cecilia Pérez, Sánchez toured the classrooms and met with the director and educators of this early years centre, which has received an investment of €372,500 from European funds.
In 2021, the government launched the 'Impulso de Escolarización 0-3 años' programme, with a total investment of €670 million, resulting in the creation of 45,000 places and achieving a school enrolment rate of 56%. Furthermore, for the 2026-2027 academic year, the programme for free schooling for families living below the poverty line has been allocated over €175 million.
