"The AFAs shouldn't exist"

BarcelonaWith one daughter in the first year of secondary school, another in the third year of primary school, and a third on the way, Sonia still finds time to dedicate to the Parents' Association (AFA) at her second daughter's school. She's on the board along with two other mothers, with whom she shares the responsibilities. In their case, they're in charge of organizing and managing after-school programs, including supervision, the school cafeteria—whose menus are still being decided—and extracurricular activities, as well as collaborating with the school when needed. She does it out of altruism and values ​​the palpable sense of solidarity. "It's hard work, but manageable," Sonia explains. She sees it as a form of political activism for the benefit of everyone, since their decisions ultimately have political implications, and it's essential that the board shares certain values, such as inclusion, to avoid disagreements. "There are times when you'd like to throw everything into action, honestly," she adds, "times when you think, 'Why am I even here?'"

This is one of the questions she posed in a personal Instagram post where she questions the existence of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs). "PTAs shouldn't exist," she states emphatically on the social network because she believes they are providing a professional service from an association that isn't one. She argues that from the moment students enter school until they leave, they depend on up to four or five different "companies" if you consider the monitoring of the welcome period, the teaching that depends on the Department of Education, the cafeteria service, and extracurricular activities. "With different services in the PTA, we acquire a professional status that we don't have, and, for example, we have to make decisions about nutrition, monitoring, and other things, and at the same time, we are recipients of complaints and intermediaries," Sonia denounces.

Ariadna also played an active role in her children's primary school, where she participated in the Festival Committee, and she carried this activism over to the Montserrat Institute in Barcelona during her eldest son's first year. Shortly afterwards, the board needed to be renewed, and if there was no replacement, the AFA would disappear; therefore, and because of her desire to help, she agreed to be its president.

In this case, in addition to being the direct link between families and teachers, the Parents' Association (AFA) manages student lockers, organizes extracurricular activities, serves on the cafeteria committee, provides financial support for school awards—Sant Jordi and a clean classrooms project—and also contributes financially to the 4th-grade graduation celebrations. Furthermore, they make folders and planners for all students each year. Their efforts, however, are concentrated on the library. They not only allocate funds to update the collection and space but also hire a professional librarian who manages new arrivals, keeps the library active, and promotes reading among teenagers. Managing such a large project limits their ability to carry out other initiatives, such as the talks for families they held years ago. "We'd like to do more, but we have the support we have," says Ariadna. In fact, there are many schools that, were it not for the Parents' Association (AFA), wouldn't have a library, and it's the families who not only promote it but also fund it. Although each AFA and each school is unique, most provide essential services for the development of school activities, and for this reason, they are organizations that work hand in hand with the school administrations, establishing close relationships with them. "They always value us because we don't interfere in pedagogy or internal matters that we understand are not our responsibility," says Ariadna. "They've gotten used to it and they need us," adds Sonia, who points out that the responsibility for many of these services lies not with the administration, but with the Generalitat (the regional government).

The dining service, a tough nut to crack

Although most public schools lack their own kitchens and the Regional Council centralizes part of the cafeteria management through service companies, it is the Parents' Associations (AFAs) that end up meeting. In Sonia's case, she says they meet every two months and that the AFA is also the one that maintains direct communication, organizes the supervisors, and manages conflicts when they arise. Furthermore, they participate in developing the nutritional menu and drafting the tender specifications. "I don't have the tools to do it myself, but we end up giving our opinions," says Sonia.

For the Federated Associations of Families of Students of Catalonia (aFFaC), the school cafeteria is considered a "complementary" service by the department, despite not being so. This is the view of aFFaC director Lidón Gasull, who laments that it is "in the hands of private entities" because the administration does not take responsibility for it. According to Gasull, the Parents' Associations end up taking over this service "for the sake of quality," but she believes they should only be able to participate. "The management should be public, direct, and integrated into the school and the educational project," she says. Therefore, a Parents' Association should have the power to complain if the school cafeteria is not functioning properly, but it should not be the entity that organizes or contracts it.

Childcare and extracurricular activities: two points of view

At Sonia's Parents' Association (AFA), in addition to the school cafeteria, they offer early morning care for all children and after-school activities—services that wouldn't be necessary "if families had real work-life balance." With this, they encounter the same problem as with the cafeteria: managing contracts, supervisors, and conflicts.

The Parents' Association of Catalonia (aFFaC), on the other hand, views it favorably that families be able to manage these services, which also include the summer camp, since AFAs have preferential use of school spaces outside of school hours. "It makes perfect sense because the AFA has the capacity to transform the school space into a community hub where things happen and, in turn, act as a unifying force for the neighborhood or municipality," says Gasull. It's a role that Sonia also supports, and one that many Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) fulfill through more recreational and festive activities aimed at building community, such as end-of-year parties and other traditional celebrations, afternoon teas, or gatherings whose sole purpose is to bring families together to share time, get to know each other, and strengthen bonds.

The AFA in the semi-private schools, another style

This desire for connection is precisely what is most evident in the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) of semi-private schools, which generally no longer manage the cafeteria, extracurricular activities, or early morning drop-off. Carolina joined the PTA board at her daughter's school, a semi-private school in Sant Boi de Llobregat, five years ago. They provide drop-off and pick-up services for family meetings, collaborate on the 6th and 4th year ESO (secondary school) graduation parties, give talks for families, and promote community life through workshops, celebrations, and recreational activities such as participation in [unspecified events]. The Marathon TV3 or the end-of-year party. For this, they charge a fairly low fee and can boast of having practically 100% of the families participating. This not only allows them to cover the activities but also, if necessary, help families facing financial difficulties. "I was surprised by the amount of work involved," says Carol, who dedicates a good part of her free time to it, "but you see that what you do impacts the children and everyone around them, and it's rewarding."

And what about financial contributions?

Providing financial support to schools by covering investments or maintenance they cannot afford is another function many Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) perform, a role that the director of the aFFaC (Association of Parent-Teacher Associations of Catalonia) believes they should not assume under any circumstances because it means "reaching where the department cannot." Gasull is highly critical in this area because, aside from assuming the department's responsibility, it can create inequality, since the financial capacity of these associations depends largely on membership fees and support from the families of the school.

With political influence in the background

"It's one thing for PTAs to be doing things they shouldn't be doing, and another to say they shouldn't exist," Gasull warns when the role of these associations is questioned. "They play a crucial role in guaranteeing democratic participation in schools," he points out, adding that it has been proven that family involvement in school life is directly related to children's educational success. Furthermore, Gasull emphasizes that PTAs have a socio-political function and influence over policy, and they have the power to urge the administration to take action whenever a service or part of a service isn't working properly. In fact, this participation and representation of families is precisely what defines what a PTA should be: a non-profit association that contributes to the improvement of the public education system, influences the education of all students and the smooth running of the school, supports families, tutors, teachers, and students, facilitates their participation, and represents families.