Next school year, parents in Barcelona can expect an increase in the price of school canteens, as established by the recent resolution published in the Diari Oficial de la Generalitat.
This increase, which will affect both regular students and sporadic diners, reflects an upward trend that has continued over the past few years.
For the 2024-2025 school year, the maximum price of the school canteen service is set at 7.25 euros per day for regular students, which represents an increase of 71 cents compared to the previous school year.
The increase also affects sporadic diners, whose maximum price will increase by up to 10%, reaching 7.98 euros per day. The increase applies to public schools as well as to subsidized and municipal schools.
Rise in school canteens in Barcelona
It is important to note that these price increases are not only due to the price of the meal itself, but also to the increase in salaries for lunchroom monitors, who play a key role in supervising and caring for children during lunch and leisure time.
This will be the third consecutive year in which the price of the school lunchroom has increased, which is a concern for many families.
In a context of rising food and service prices, this increase can have a significant impact on household budgets, especially for those with limited incomes.
The education authorities justify this price increase as a necessary response to rising food prices and the salaries of cafeteria workers.
They argue that not increasing prices could result in a decrease in the quality of service, which would negatively affect both from an educational and food standpoint.
More aid to canteens
The Department of Education continues to provide lunchroom assistance to those students who need it. This year, more than 182,000 grants have been awarded, a significant increase over the previous year.
These grants represent a total of 189 million euros, demonstrating the regional government’s commitment to ensuring that all children have access to adequate food during school hours.
The increase in school lunchroom prices in Barcelona poses economic challenges for many families, especially at a time of economic uncertainty.
They argue that not increasing the price of the service would have resulted in a decrease in quality, as it would have been necessary to cut back on staff or food quality.
It is important to keep in mind that the price of the school lunchroom not only covers the cost of the meal, but also the salaries of the monitors who supervise the children.
