News from Catalunya
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Increase in number of foreign residents in Barcelona - El Pais
In 2007 the number of foreign residents in Barcelona increased by 30,028 people bringing the total number of foreign citizens in Barcelona to 280,817 (17.3% of the total of residents of the Catalan capital) according to figures from Barcelona city council. The largest group is Latin Americans, which represents 46% of the total, followed by the European Union (UE), with 25%, Asia, with 16%, and Africa, with 8% of the total of foreign residents in Barcelona. The district with the highest percentage of foreigners continues to be the Eixample. Interesting is that 30% of the babies who were born in 2007 in the Catalan capital have a mother or father of foreign nationality. (El Pais - 30th April 2008)
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Barcelona Summer Camps
This summer 27 nursery schools in Barcelona will offer activities for children. Registration for the available places for leisure and sports activities is open until 10th May. The municipal programme of educational and leisure activities for children and young people between the ages of 1 and 17 during the summer holidays will be able to offer its services to 113,591 youngsters this year. This figure represents an increase of 16% on last year, with the novelty that 27 municipal nursery schools will be offering 1,240 places for children between the ages of 1 and 3 years old. The Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, explained that, with the summer presenting more opportunities for educational and leisure activities for children and young people, 353 activities had been programmed this year, co-ordinated by 282 leisure and sporting bodies.(Adjuntament de Barcelona)
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Sant Jordi celebrations for children
The Món Llibre literary festival for children and teenagers, which received more than 20,000 visitors last year, is now in its fourth year. There are more than 150 events and activities for all ages, and a host of books to introduce children to the pleasure of reading (Adjuntament de Barcelona)
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Services for children and young people
Barcelona City Council wants to increase the number of centres and services for children and young people (Adjuntament de Barcelona)
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Questioning Vaccines
Ours is an age of choice: what car to buy, food to eat, hobby to dedicate ourselves to. It seems logical, then, when it comes to parenting we are also faced with a myriad of choices: breast or bottle, nursery or nanny, public or private. Some of the most difficult issues are centred on health choices for our children, and there is none more controversial than the question of whether or not to vaccinate (Metropolitan February 2008 )
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Historic investment in schools
The agreement signed between Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat establishes that 15 new schools will be built and improvement works will be carried out at 325 over the next four years (Adjuntament de Barcelona)
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City Council covers free school meals
During a visit to Ítaca school in Les Corts, Mayor Jordi Hereu announced that Barcelona City Council would increase finance for free school meals by a value of five times. The major investment to extend the grants to schoolchildren in the city will be in conjunction with the Education Department of the Catalan Generalitat (Adjuntament de Barcelona)
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Family corners at schools
Barcelona offers "family corners", giving parents educational material and professional help from primary school teachers
Districts including Sarria-Sant Gervasi, Sant Andreu, Ciutat Vella and Sants-Montjuïc now have these special areas where parents can share classes with their children (Adjuntament de Barcelona)
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What is spinach?
Results from a survey indicate that the majority of children don't know or have never tasted foods such as spinach, oranges and tomatoes For the last two years, the Fundació Dieta Mediterrània has organised workshops at schools to teach children about food and eating habits (Adjuntament de Barcelona)