Private nursery fees in Spain could jump by 50%
Private nursery fees in Spain could rise by 40 to 50 per cent: proposed limits on the number of children per teacher would drive up costs, a sector group warns. The Association of Independent Private Education Centres (ACADE) sets out its forecast in a report cited in Madrid on 22 October. It also warns that nurseries could have fewer places to offer.
Fewer children per teacher
Under the proposed rules, each teacher could care for no more than four children aged under one, six aged one to two, or eight aged two to three. ACADE says nurseries would face higher staffing costs and lose capacity, particularly for children aged one to three.
Its report estimates that a private nursery operating on tight margins could instead lose between 55,000 and 90,000 euros a year. The fee rise is ACADE’s forecast if the government approves the changes, not an increase already announced by nurseries.
Places and jobs at risk
Private nurseries care for 224,405 children in this age group across Spain, according to ACADE. That is 46.3 per cent of the total. The group warns that closures could leave families without places and put around 60,000 jobs and 5,345 private centres at risk.
ACADE also asks how public nurseries would take on more children when the proposed limits would reduce their capacity too. It wants the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sport to rethink the draft and provide enough funding for any change.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com