Every year around this time, many children ask about summer: "Will I be able to go to summer camp or summer camp with my friends?" Four out of 10 households, struggling to make ends meet, are told they can't. More than 300,000 Catalan children and adolescents swallow it in silence, and the summer drags on without summer camp activities, campuses, summer camps, or summer vacations, between the heat of the apartment, screens on, and many hours—too many—alone, with almost nothing to do, with sedentary leisure time.
During the 12 weeks of school holidays, this reality widens inequalities and exacerbates the loss of learning, well-being, and community ties. Let's not forget that one-third of children in Catalonia live in poverty or exclusion, and that for many of them, when classrooms close, educational opportunities also close.
We've been denouncing this reality for some time now, and we propose a clear response: making summer leisure a right, not a luxury. First and foremost, thinking about children and their families, but also about a more just and cohesive society. Educational leisure isn't just about fun; it's about learning, socialization, physical and emotional health... In the words of the president of the Catalan Society of Pediatrics, "We shouldn't just prescribe paracetamol or ibuprofen; we should also prescribe leisure activities and playtime for their healthy development."
A host of diverse entities (social organizations, burrows and esplais, AFA, sports councils and clubs, small and medium-sized businesses, etc.) offer all kinds of activities with educational value organized by young volunteers or professionals during the summer. Many municipalities make efforts to make these offerings available or complement them with the city council's own activities in their neighborhoods, but it's not enough. We are not satisfied that this summer leisure activity does not reach everyone. This is reflected in the transversal call of civil society expressed in the manifesto shared by fifty federations, entities, and professional associations from diverse fields, from health, culture, sports, education, and social: we have a lot at stake in the summer, and therefore, we demand three major measures.
The first: to begin to universalize summer leisure activities, with at least two weeks of activities for children and adolescents living in poverty, to make the recent strategy to combat child poverty a reality. This means scholarships, meals, and inclusion support to guarantee access to these opportunities for discovery and adventure with other boys and girls, which are also key to living together in Catalan.
The second: open public facilities throughout the summer to provide more meeting places and climate refuges, with opportunities to live together in public spaces and promote access to nature and healthy environments, with sufficient greenery and shade outdoors. And, finally, strengthen leisure organizations in the broadest sense (from sports, cultural, and socio-educational organizations to community-based associations), which are what make this quality offering possible throughout the country.
Summer cannot be a luxury for childhood or a second-class right that depends on the postal code or family you're assigned to. We must turn it into a time where everyone has opportunities to live together and grow. Because each and every child and adolescent deserves to be able to say with joy, on the last day of school, "Have a good summer!" And, upon returning, wanting to explain that she's also been on summer camp, that she's made new friends, that she's played lots of new games, that she's read, swum, shared... and that she's also had a great summer.
