APAE Programme: in support of the prevention of school absenteeism

APAE PROGRAMME: IN SUPPORT OF THE PREVENTION OF SCHOOL ABSENTEEISM

UNIVERSITY OF ALICANTE AND ALICANTE'S CITY HALL - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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The University of Alicante and the city hall are collaborating in a volunteering project that will allow students of the Universidad Permanente to participate in the APAE Programme, supporting the prevention of school absenteeism

This collaboration initiative is part of the programme in Support of the Prevention of School Absenteeism (APAE by its Spanish acronym), developed years ago by the city hall's Department of Education and geared towards students enrolled during the stage of compulsory education (between 6 and 16 years old), and which unfolds primarily within municipal units.

Meanwhile, the University of Alicante conducts a scientific, cultural and social programme developed through its Universidad Permanente (UPUA), aiming to promote Science, Culture and intergenerational relationships, with the objective of improving the quality of life of people older than 50 and encouraging their participation as social revitalizers in their environment.

APAE is promoted by the Department of Education as a solidary and collaborative project, for which both institutions have signed a collaboration agreement in order to join forces in the converging points, including the continuous education throughout one's life, the promotion of active aging and of volunteer work, and the development of initiatives and projects designed in favour of cohesion, social inclusion and intergenerational solidarity by means of Education.

Beneficiaries of this free of charge and non-profit programme will be those school students who require support to prevent their absenteeism, and whose families lack the sufficient purchasing power to offer the support and resources necessary to get past the educational disadvantage or required add-ons.

Senior volunteers must be over 50 years old, enrolled in the current UPUA school year, with a bachelor's or university degree in teaching (for primary education students) or with a degree or masters (for secondary ed. students). This voluntary teaching activity will never result in complying with those private or business entities whose activities involve teaching for profit.

The concision and development of the actions compiled in the collaboration agreement will be supervised by a joint commission for the monitoring of the agreement, made up of at least two representatives to be appointed by each institution.

By designation of the University, the joint commission will be chaired by the Education and Training Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and the Education Councillor, Julia María Llopis Noheda, while the members will be Marian Alesón Carbonell, Director at the Universidad Permanente, and Diana Guijarro, from the Education Service.

DETAILS OF THE PROGRAMME:

  • The senior volunteer's qualifications will adjust to the group's necessities, these being a bachelor's or university degree in teaching, for primary education, or a degree or masters in the pertinent field for secondary education.
  • The schedule will adapt to the teachers’ availability, but always during the afternoon and with a regularity of averagely two hours per week, per volunteer.
  • Spaces for development shall be municipally owned and appropriate for such purposes.
  • Groups will consist of a maximum of 10 students.
  • The Universidad Permanente's school insurance will cover senior volunteers.
  • The aim is to educate, at least, 10 groups of students, which requires the inclusion of a minimum of 10 senior volunteers, for which the UPUA will be in charge of issuing an open call and promoting the current project of the Iniciativa Incubadora de Valores y Proyectos de la UE (the Incubate Values Initiative and EU's Projects), given that they converge and can coincide to achieve such purposes.

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