The St. Augustine School in Valladolid, Spain, directed and administered by the Augustinian Recollects Friars, hosted the 2023 Annual Assembly of Catholic Schools of Castile and Leon on June 2 with the slogan “Your future begins at school with a smile.” Almost 250 directors and administrators of some 174 schools attended. Rocio Lucas, Minister of Education, and Pedro Huertas, Secretary General of Catholic Schools, were also present.
Catholic Schools of Castile and Leon held last Friday, June 2, at the St. Augustine School, its annual Assembly, to review the past school year and the current education situation. The proposed budget of this school institution was also approved, together with the annual report.
The event was chaired by Rocio Lucas, Minister of Education in Castile and Leon, Encarna González-Campos and Leandro Roldan, regional president and secretary of Catholic Schools Castile and Leon. About 250 representatives of the 174 schools attended.
At the inauguration of the Assembly, all were thanked for attending and for their commitment in their vocation as teachers. The minister of Education insisted that “much remains to be done, but we can still see that improvement is done constantly, together, we must take care of our students.” The minister ended by reminding all that education is “a fundamental right” and that the freedom of families to choose where they want their children to be educated is enshrined in the Constitution.
Jose Manuel Dominguez, director of the Family Institute of Orense and director of the Edith Stein International Institute of Family Accompaniment, shared a talk titled ” Eight ways to care for self to care for others.”
Later, Pedro Huerta, general secretary of Catholic Schools, presented the new “Guide for the Prevention and Reparation of sexual abuse of Minors in educational centers.” This guide has been prepared to ensure the commitment of the more than 2000 schools of the organization spread throughout Spain to protect minors and create safe, environments. It is a “tool to act, protect and repair” that fosters the culture of care and is aligned with the Church’s “zero tolerance.”
The Statutory Assembly of Holders and Autonomous Board of Catholic Schools Castile and Leon also took place during the Assembly. Encarna Gonzalez-Campos, insisted on the need for the budget item of “other expenses” to experience a substantial increase to alleviate the accumulated deficit and thus achieve the autonomous operation of educational centers.
The last topic considered was the current worrying situation of mental health problems among young people. The Assembly claimed the need to guarantee more human and economic resources to improve students’ emotional and psychological development without these situations affecting their overall development.
As usual, the news was shared on the formation proposals of the Catholic Schools programs and other legal, labor, and administrative aspects for the network schools.
The Assembly ended with the Final Declaration, which was based on the three fundamental points worked on: plural, quality, and free education; more resources to improve students’ mental and emotional health; and the culture of care and the creation of schools as safe spaces.
