Small recurring school payments: AMPA, photocopies, outings and insurance

Terms used

• AMPA — The AMPA is the school's parents' association, which parents can join voluntarily and which runs activities and collects a yearly fee.
• Concertada — A concertada is a privately run school that receives public funding and must follow rules on free teaching.
• Comedor — The comedor is the school canteen, charged separately from teaching.
• Material colectivo — Material colectivo is shared classroom material and photocopies, for which schools ask families for a contribution.
• Seguro escolar — The seguro escolar is a state accident insurance for older students, paid with the enrolment fee.
• ESO — ESO is compulsory secondary education, from about age 12 to 16.

Key rules

• AMPA: Joining the AMPA is voluntary, and a school cannot make enrolment or admission depend on it.
• AMPA fee: An AMPA fee is typically 15 to 40 euros per family per year, and it is separate from charges for activities or the comedor.
• Teaching: A school cannot charge for teaching, admission or enrolment in public or concertada compulsory education.
• Gifts: Teacher and class gifts are never required.
• Seguro escolar: The seguro escolar applies from ESO onward, not in primary school.

The short version

Expect a few small payments a year. Most are modest, and several are optional. Teaching itself is free in public and concertada schools for compulsory education (primary and ESO). A school cannot charge for teaching, admission or enrolment.

AMPA: the parents' association

Joining the AMPA is voluntary, and a school cannot make enrolment or admission depend on it. Some schools, especially concertadas, nudge families to join or bundle the AMPA fee with other charges. You can say no. If a school pushes, you can complain to the school council, the regional education inspectorate or the regional ombudsman.

The AMPA's general assembly sets the fee. Some AMPAs charge per child. Some are lower, and some, mostly in concertadas, are higher. Ask the AMPA for its current fee. Activities, the comedor (school canteen) and extended hours run by the AMPA are billed separately.

Photocopies and shared materials

Schools often ask for a contribution for photocopies and shared materials (material colectivo). In public schools it is often 10 to 50 euros per year. It is usually collected in September or October, or in two instalments. In concertadas it can be higher.

In public schools it cannot be mandatory, because teaching materials are meant to be free. Practice varies, so ask the school whether it is voluntary before you pay. Regional education departments set the detailed rules.

Outings, extracurriculars, comedor and transport

These can be charged, but only if they are voluntary and approved by the school council. They must be non-profit and cannot be required for the curriculum. Rules differ by region. Expect to pay for the trip itself, not for the teaching around it.

In concertadas, voluntary donations or cuotas are allowed only if they are not a condition of enrolment and do not pay for teaching hours.

Teacher and class gifts

Gifts are never required. Any collection is an informal arrangement among parents, usually at Christmas or the end of the year. Typical amounts are 5 to 15 euros per family. Many schools do not collect at all. You can decline or give less. Nobody at the school can require payment.

School insurance

The seguro escolar is state insurance run through Social Security. It is compulsory for students in ESO, Bachillerato, FP and university, up to age 28. It does not cover primary school. It is paid with the enrolment fee, which has been 1.12 euros per year. It covers accidents at school and some medical costs.

Schools often offer a private accident policy as an optional extra. That is separate from the seguro escolar, and you can usually decline it. Ask which one you are being charged for.

How to judge a request

• Is it for teaching, enrolment or admission? Then it cannot be charged.
• Is it the AMPA, a gift or a donation? It is voluntary.
• Is it unclear? Ask the school for the request in writing and who approved it.

The quick answers below cover the most common questions.

Quick answers about school extras

Do I have to pay for a teacher or class gift?

No, a teacher or class gift is never required, and schools cannot make you pay. Where parents do collect, it is an informal collection, often 5 to 15 euros per family at Christmas or the end of the year. Many schools do not collect at all.

Can my child skip a school trip and still go to class that day?

Yes, your child can skip a paid trip, and should still attend school, where the school must keep them supervised. This is usually in another class group. Some schools tell families the child may stay home, so ask the head teacher what happens at your school.

Is the seguro escolar compulsory for my child?

Yes, but only from ESO onward: the seguro escolar is compulsory for students in ESO, Bachillerato, FP and university up to age 28, and it does not cover primary school. The fee has been 1.12 euros per year, usually paid at enrolment. It is separate from any optional private policy the school offers.