The Ministry of Education, Universities, Culture and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands will distribute 14,678 wallet cards for school canteens this summer to zero-fee students in the archipelago, in order to continue "supporting families in vulnerable economic situations." The vouchers will be activated on Monday, July 4, for the purchase of essential food items.
The Government of the Canary Islands details that these vouchers consist of aid of 120 euros per month per student for the months of July and August, a period in which school canteens are not active because schools remain closed for holidays.
The measure was implemented for the first time in 2020, in the months in which teaching was carried out non-face-to-face due to Covid-19, and during last summer, so this is the third consecutive year in which it has been launched. This time, it involves a total investment of 3,558,720 euros. For its implementation, the autonomous department has signed an agreement with CaixaBank SA and Global Payment MoneyToPay EDE SL.
Councilor Manuela Armas recalls once again that "the concern for the well-being of the students of the Canary Islands does not end with the start of their vacations" and emphasizes that the school results and the socioeconomic situation of the families are related factors, so the Executive is aware that, in cases of vulnerability, "their needs are present every day of the year".
The balance of the card may be used in one or more purchases up to the maximum monthly amount available in small or large food stores. The card will be recharged monthly, so it must be kept after use.
The recipients of the card must take all necessary precautions to avoid theft, robbery, forgery or loss of the card, since the card delivered may not be replaced by another, and keep the purchase receipts of the food purchased in this way, which will be required.
Collaboration of schools
The general director of Centers, Infrastructure and Educational Promotion, Laly González, has ratified on this occasion her gratitude to the management teams of the schools for their "enormous" collaboration in this procedure and stressed "the professionalism, dedication and support provided in the management of the school canteen, in particular, during these last three unusual school years".
As in previous editions, the centers with students with a 0 fee will be responsible for delivering the wallet cards and transferring information to families.
