Claire Wilson
A GROUP of left wing bandits invaded a Sevilla supermarket on Friday, stealing school supplies to distribute to the needy.
The raid took place in broad daylight ahead of the impending start of the new academic year, and coincided with the closing of summer schools that have offered a lifeline to hundreds of struggling Spanish families over the holiday period.
A total 56 Andalucian schools remained open over the summer holidays and attendees of primary school age took regular lessons, breaking for a free and substantial lunch every day.
Many parents said the free food was a motivating factor in sending their children to school, and leftovers were always offered to parents at the end of the day.
As unemployment in the region remains the highest in Spain, 36%, malnutrition is becoming an even bigger problem among the young populatation.
Marta Arias, a spokesperson for UNICEF Spain, said: “The level of child poverty in Spain was already high, around 20% when the crisis hit, and the figures are getting worse year by year.
“Not only are there more children under the poverty line, but those that are, are getting poorer.”
In June the government launched a free school meals programme for 11,000 needy pupils in the region’s schools.
The work of “left-wing bandits”! Presumably, “right-wing bandits” would nick it back off ’em and donate it to the rich.
Oh sorry. They already have done.
in the uk nobody would want to steal it as its so disgusting and they are going up.
also today its said that quite a few kids start go to school at 5 or 6 in a nappy , unable to talk or recognise own name.
Do the Spanish still have to buy new books for their children every year instead of handing on books to younger siblings because they are forced to write in them. This whole corrupt system was formulated in Franco’s time and AFAIK the same company still operates this lucrative monopoly – why did’nt ‘no shoulders’ Zapatero put a stop to this years ago.
A Spanish teacher was friend was telling me just last week that the local school has two ten year olds in the 7 year old’s class because they keep them back if they don’t progress, and they’ve now been kept back 2 years in a row, with a third year looming! Books still have to be purchased, but there is some assistance for poor families (although this assistance flctuates wildly). Food for thought if you are considering a nice Spanish school lol.
I do not condone stealing and yet it was for a good cause…yikes moral dilemma indeed.
Food for thought, how about donating resources and/or time. Just putting it out there ahead of time…Please, snarky comments need not apply.
Yes, students still have to purchase books, it’s true there is some assistance, but as you can imagine the need grows. Some children not being prepared is a problem not just here but other places as well I’m afraid.
The future rest in its children; so if you can assist in any way in your local area, why not give it a try.
only the other day a child knocked on my front door and asked for a donation for the upkeep of their schools swimming pool….i gave them 2 buckets of water!!!!!!!!!
A kind, compassionate notion Christine. But it echoes what David Camerons “Big Society” amounted to. Which has turned out to be mostly job centres sending hard-up people to food-banks. Thus neatly evading responsibility for starvation. Unfortunately, governments are very happy to let voluntary action replace their responsibilities. The more YOU do, the less THEY do.
Perhaps if these “Andalucian left wing bandits” and their creed (clearly there are no ‘right wing bandits’ eh?) devoted a little more quality time supporting their offspring’s education instead of shoplifting then perhaps the all embracing negativity which bears down on the youth of Spain would start to lift. What an horrendous example these thieves are showing to youngsters. “ie:- if you can’t pay, nick it”.
@Christine. There is no “moral dilemma”. Thieving is thieving. Punto. Who pays in the end??. We all do because no way is the retailer going to absorb the losses.
These little bandits are merely aping the big “legal” bandits. Bankers, politicians, big business tax-dodgers, food adulterators, bent cops, bent builders, gambling barons. The list is huge and the sins far greater. These are the true examples in favour of theft.
“Group of left-wing bandits”? Not being at all judgemental, are we?
They were members of the agricultural workers union for Andalucia, SAT, and have asked Carrefour to consider donating the materials as a gesture of good public relations. A similar thing happened with trolleys full of food last year. Carrefour have yet to confirm what action they will take.
Although there is assistance for poorer families it has been cut, and the recategorisation of pencils, notebooks etc to the higher VAT rate has also hit hard. The action by SAT was designed to generate publicity – and in that respect, it has been successful.
@Amparo of course I don’t condone stealing, my comment was more in jest because I know how badly some schools need. Relax I’m not suggesting there be a run on the school supplies.
@Misha I hope Carrefour comes through. I shop there for my school supplies,so nothing would delight me more.