Education

The goal in this area is to help young people develop the kind of social skills and experiences they need for their personal growth and development as well-rounded citizens.

The 2008 education and instructional programme was funded with €49.9 million.

Early childhood, youth and special education and training

Some 1,063 children aged from four months to six years are enrolled in the five early childhood centres supported by Obra Social in the 2008/2009 school year.

The social action plan pursued during the year continued to bring important assistance to families of children with special learning needs and to families of immigrants.

Support to young people's education and training is channelled through the six centres run by Obra Social Caja Madrid (curricular, occupational and supplementary instruction) with a total of 2,822 students enrolled. These centres promote comprehensive job training and education in values for young adults, as well as helping them in their transition to world of work. Personalised attention and support is also provided to students with difficulties and their families.

The Ponce de León centre offers a standard education curriculum with preferential and special integration advantages for the deaf and hearing impaired, to help them build their skills and self-confidence. The basic instructional programmes is supplemented with activities for the students families, such as sign language workshops and counselling through the Parents School.

Supplementary learning centres

Obra Social Caja Madrid runs 11 language learning centres and 39 reading rooms

The language schools offer programmes in English as a foreign language and Spanish for immigrants that were attended by a total of 4,197 students in 2008.

The Obra Social Caja Madrid network of libraries serves 225,078 active members, who have access to 512,633 books and publications, which now include materials adapted for disabled readers.

Programmes for school-age children

The 50 projects carried out during the year are a valuable resource for teachers, and motivate youngsters to acquire values, habits and experiences that enrich their lives in and out of the classroom. Emphasis is also placed on promoting their integration into society and the job market.

The main types of programmes are briefly described below:

• Scholarships. A total of 200 students and vocational educational graduates participated in seven weeks of on-the-job training in companies in the United Kingdom and Ireland under the auspices of the “Eurobecas” programme.
• Debating programmes. A new edition of the “Aulaforo Caja Madrid” programme was organised to foster and strengthen democratic habits in the classroom through debates and votes. Discussion forms are held to give students the chance to express themselves, exchange and contrast opinions and defend their views. Some 19,114 students participated in the activity in 434 different schools. The “Mock European Parliament” is another initiative to familiarise youngsters with the virtues of dialogue, raise their awareness of what it means to be a citizen of Europe and enhance their understanding of and skills in parliamentary debate.
• Internet programmes. The diverse projects carried out seek to awaken young people's creativity and interest in literature and advance their knowledge of the principles that inspire the European Union and the Spanish Constitution.