The Municipal Group Más Madrid in the Collado Villalba City Council will bring to the next ordinary Plenary session a proposal to move towards the implementation of a universal and free school canteen system. The main objective of this initiative is to ensure equal opportunities from the earliest stages of life. The proposal, which includes specific measures at both municipal and regional levels to prevent economic factors from excluding any child from the canteen service, has already garnered the support of over 17,000 signatures.
"Ensuring a healthy meal a day in the school environment cannot depend on family income. It is a matter of rights, equality, and the future," stated Gonzalo Díaz, spokesperson for Más Madrid.
Más Madrid points out that the current cost of the service, estimated at around 120 euros per month per student, represents a significant economic barrier for many families, especially in the current context of rising living costs. The municipal group also warns about the inadequacy of the current scholarship system, which leaves thousands of minors without access to the service despite meeting the requirements, thus generating early inequalities.
The motion also addresses the lack of continuity of the service in secondary education, where students do not have access to canteens, making family reconciliation difficult and potentially affecting nutritional health during a crucial developmental stage. Más Madrid highlights the municipality's socioeconomic situation, with income levels below the regional average and areas of greater vulnerability such as El Gorronal, Los Valles, or Villalba Estación, making the adoption of such measures particularly urgent.
Furthermore, it is emphasized that the current number of scholarships is insufficient to cover the existing demand, forcing the City Council to assume expenses that, according to the group, should fall under the responsibility of the Comunidad de Madrid.
Among the measures proposed in the motion are: strengthening municipal aid to guarantee access to canteens for all families in need; implementing free canteens in municipal nursery schools; developing educational and leisure programs linked to canteens with the hiring of specialized monitors; requesting the Comunidad de Madrid to implement a universal and free canteen system for ages 0 to 16 as a child's right; and creating canteens in secondary schools or alternatives that ensure equal access for secondary students.
The municipal group argues that school canteens are more than just a service; they are a key tool for ensuring healthy eating, improving academic results, and fostering social cohesion. They recall that European countries with better educational indicators already have universal school canteen systems, and they believe that Collado Villalba should move in the same direction.
