The Education Department guarantees that the new decree on school cafeterias will take into account food intolerances and include local products.

PalmThe Minister of Education and Universities, Antoni Vera, has assured that the upcoming decree regulating school cafeterias in publicly funded schools will include menus adapted for children with food intolerances and will incorporate a percentage of locally sourced products. He explained this on Tuesday during the plenary session of Parliament, in response to a question from Vox deputy Sergio Rodríguez, who inquired whether the new regulations would include halal menus. Vera emphasized that the decree his department is drafting goes far beyond the food offerings and proposes a comprehensive regulation of school cafeterias, with the aim of guaranteeing common criteria of "quality, sustainability, food safety, and coordination." Regarding specific options, the Minister stressed that the Government will act within the limits set by the basic state regulations. "It will not be this Executive that decides to include or exclude certain menus; it is the state royal decree that establishes which options can be offered," he argued. However, Vera confirmed that students with food intolerances will be accommodated and that, following an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture, menus will incorporate some local produce.

Early Childhood Education

Later, Socialist MP Amanda Fernández questioned the Minister about whether his department ensures quality education in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education. Fernández argued that this stage requires "care, dialogue, and consensus" and criticized the Government and the PP for generating "instability, concern, and unrest." In his response, Vera stated that education for children aged 0 to 3 "is at its best," since it is universal, free, and occupies a central place in educational policies, fulfilling—he said—the commitments made. The MP also mentioned the complaints from the Early Intervention Teams (EAP) regarding changes in schedules. The Minister retorted by accusing her of using "rumors as a political tool." According to Vera, the Primary Care Teams (EAP) have added 39 more professionals during this legislative term, and to strengthen their presence in classrooms, monthly coordination hours will be reduced from 16 to 12. These four hours will be dedicated to direct student support, which, with over a hundred professionals, will amount to an additional 540 hours of educational support.