Municipality School

Participatory Budgets in Schools 2019 – Cartagena City Council

presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es
presupuestosparticipativos@ayto-cartagena.es34968128817

Project data
Images
Map

Description

Children and young people at 11 educational centers in Cartagena—all the public centers in the town—have decided how to invest €110 000 that the Cartagena City Council allocated to Participatory Budgets (PBs) in schools and institutes in 2019. Six thousand students from seven primary schools and four secondary schools voted to decide what to do with the budget item assigned for that purpose by the City Council. The students were asked to choose which were the best proposals for improvements to their facilities, from projects they themselves had prepared.

The facilities selected for improvement were air conditioning systems, sports and computer equipment, sound equipment, and musical instruments. To vote, an electoral roll was drawn up at each center and the corresponding polling stations were set up, staffed by the students themselves.

The previous year, the CEIP (Public School for Nursery and Primary Education) Virgen del Carmen and the IES (Institute for Secondary Education) San Isidoro de Los Dolores, participated in a pilot PB project for primary and secondary schools that, in 2019, was extended to all public centers.

Preparation

Each educational center was assigned €10 000. The total value of these PBs in educational centers was €110 000. Voting took place in stages between May 6 and May 8, 2019.

Implementation

The process to initiate PBs in the Educational Centers program started on February 15, 2019. An initial meeting to inform the management teams of all the participating Centers was held in the City Hall, followed by a press conference to report the results.

The structure of our process was as follows:

Phase 1.- Information, dissemination and debate (February 18 to March 26, inclusive). From February 18, City Council technicians visited the centers to publicize the project to the steering committee and teaching staff (until February 28).

From March 1 to 15, in each primary and secondary education center, the steering committee informed teachers and students in order to encourage them to participate.

Phase 2.- Collection of proposals and prioritization.

Proposals by student groups in each center were collected on March 28.

On March 29, a project follow-up meeting with all representatives of all centers took place at IES San Isidoro secondary school.

On April 1, the steering committee and a commission reviewed and selected the proposals.

Phase 3.- Evaluation of the proposals (April 2-22, inclusive).

On April 2, all the proposals were sent to the city council technical staff responsible for Participation.

From April 4 to 10, the city council technicians were allowed visit the centers if they needed to and, finally, from April 2 to 22, the proposals were reviewed and approved by the technicians on the basis of feasibility criteria.

Phase 4.- Voting (final public campaign) (April 22 to May 8, inclusive).

From April 24, the final campaign to publicize the proposals that had been accepted took place. Finally, voting was organized by each center from May 6 to 8.

Phase 5.- Publication of the results (May 10)

On May 10, the projects receiving most votes in each center were published.

Phase 6.- Evaluation meeting (May 17)

On May 17, a meeting with representatives from all centers took place in order to evaluate the process.

Around 6000 students had been asked to give their opinion on which improvements should be carried out in their centers, for which the council had allocated €110 000, €10 000 for each center.

Each center published a report on the process and these are available on the city council website (https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/centros_educativos.asp).

Results by center

The results by center were as follow:

IES Mediterráneo

Link to report (in Spanish): https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40276.pdf

Votes cast: 817

Results (the projects selected appear in bold):

Fans for 10 classrooms (€4500): 544 votes

Indoor and outdoor public address system (€5500): 541 votes

Wall clocks for all classrooms (€400): 306 votes
Concrete outdoor benches (2) (€1600): 271 votes
Tablets (25) (€5750): 224 votes
Air conditioning for the library (€1512): 157 votes
Vandal-resistant ping-pong table (€1270): 135 votes

IES El Bohío

Link to report (in Spanish):

https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40303.pdf

Of the six proposals, each student could award points to just three: gold (equivalent to 3 points), silver (2 points) and bronze (1 point). The total number of votes cast was 684 (617 valid, 65 null, 2 blank).

Results (the projects selected appear in bold):

Outdoor furniture (benches and picnic tables for recreation areas): 1073 points

Two backpacks equipped with 8 iPads each: 835 points

Two goals with baskets for the outer court: 553 points

Portable scenario: 416 points
Outdoor furniture (fixed ping-pong tables): 401 points
Sports equipment (mobile and folding ping-pong tables): 390 points.

IES San Isidoro de los Dolores

Link to report (in Spanish):

https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40275.pdf

Votes cast: 588

Results (the projects selected appear in bold):

Installation of fans in south-facing classrooms: 464 votes

Improvements to computer and audiovisual media: 395 votes

Acquisition of benches and ping-pong tables for the patio and gardens: 305 votes

Air conditioning in the assembly hall: 190 votes

3D printer: 177 votes

Tools for the school garden and greenhouse: 138 votes
Acquisition of wireless microphones: 90 votes
Metal recycling bins: 63 votes.

IES Galileo de Pozo Estrecho

Link to report (in Spanish):

https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40277.pdf

Votes cast: 249 (including 2 blank, 3 null)

Results (the projects selected appear in bold):

Benches and concrete picnic tables for the patio: 219 votes

Approved model chairs, fireproof curtain and lectern for the assembly hall: 163 votes

Sports equipment for physical education: Approved folding ping-pong tables: 123 votes

Computer and audiovisual material: computers, portable speaker, wireless speaker, radio microphones and mixer for school radio: 177 votes

Modular panels for exhibitions: 19 votes
Wooden administration counter: 31 votes.

CEIP José María Lapuerta

Link to report (in Spanish):

https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40342.pdf

Information about projects not available.

CEIP Vicente Medina

Link to report (in Spanish): https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40274.pdf

Votes cast: 137

Results (the projects selected appear in bold):

Children’s “Casita” 94 votes

Four virtual reality headsets: 59 votes

300 chairs for the outdoor stage: 39 votes

Five new computers: 38 votes

Furniture for the library (4 tables and 8 chairs): 28 votes

Primary school games (table football, air hockey and 5 targets): 28 votes

20 tablets for years 5 and 6 + 20 cases: 26 votes
Digital whiteboard for music: 25 votes
Musical instruments: 19 votes
Children's wardrobe: 16 votes
Picnic tables: 16 votes
Projectors: 15 votes
Robots: 8 votes.

CEIP San Ginés de la Jara

Link to report (in Spanish): https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40279.pdf

Votes cast: 210

Results (the projects selected appear in bold):

Nursery Education

Little Pixie house, with a whale and trampoline: 43 votes

“Casita Duende”, rocking ladybug and elastic bed: 16 votes.

Primary Education:

Outdoor ping-pong table: 100 votes

Computers and tablets: 77 votes

Resource classroom/multipurpose room: 70 votes
Picnic table: 52 votes.

CEIP Miguel de Cervantes

Link to report (in Spanish):

https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40280.pdf

Votes cast: 184

Results (the projects selected appear in bold):

25 tablets or laptops: 164 votes

2 microscopes: 104 votes

Sound equipment for the school: 93 votes

Wireless microphones: 59 votes

4 basketball hoops: 48 votes

Playground equipment for children: 46 votes

1 articulated skeleton: 39 votes
Classroom clocks: 35 votes.

CEIP San Fulgencio de Pozo Estrecho

Link to report (in Spanish):

https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40273.pdf

Votes cast: 490

Results (the projects selected appear in bold):

Nursery Education

Slide: 83 votes

Spring rocker: 47 votes.

Primary Education:

Sound equipment: 199 votes

Library furniture: 41 votes

Outdoor tables with games: 97 votes

Air conditioning: 23 votes.

CEIP Virgen del Carmen

Link to report (in Spanish):

https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40287.pdf

Votes cast: 670 (525 valid, 143 null, 2 blank)

Results (the projects selected appear in bold):

Nursery Education

Tablets: 133 votes

Robotics Materials: 39 votes

For Primary Education:

A climbing wall: 131 votes

Robotics equipment: 65 votes

Fountains for the patio: 39 votes

Stairs: 38 votes
Benches for the playground: 29 votes
Sound equipment: 21 votes
Air conditioning: 15 votes.

CEIP Santa Florentina de la Palma

Link to report (in Spanish):

https://presupuestosparticipativos.cartagena.es/gestion/documentos/40278.pdf

Of a total 521 students, 484 voted (476 valid, 7 blank, 1 null). The results of the poll were as follows:

Nursery Education

Motorcycles and bicycles: 108 votes

Baskets for the patio: 37 votes.

Primary Education:

Playground (picnic and ping-pong tables): 184 votes

New computers and other equipment: 165 votes

Library (chairs, tables, shelves and games): 27 votes.

A closer look to one school

Each center was given the freedom to adapt the process to their own needs and objectives. To offer a closer view of one of them, we focus on the process at CEIP Vicente Medina.

Each center established their own objectives adapted to the process. This school’s goals were:

To understand the PB process
To learn about, assess and work on the participation system while fully aware of the center’s responsibility within the project
To cooperate and coexist in decision-making as a management team while aware of the responsibilities and difficulties this entails
To be aware of the existence of different problem-solving alternatives
To reflect critically and logically on the facts and problems facing the school
To be able to put themselves in the place of the other and understand their point of view even if it is different from their own
To value difference and recognize equal rights, particularly between men and women
To manage social skills and know how to resolve conflict constructively
To practice dialogue and negotiation to reach agreements in order to resolve conflict democratically
To make decisions and accept responsibility for them
To contribute to social improvement and develop an entrepreneurial spirit and become actively involved in the society around them

A student-designed logo was selected following a contest (see images in gallery).

tudents’ proposals were collected and selected taking into account the criteria outlined in class following indications from the city council.

Information on suppliers and prices was sought in order to selection those proposals that would meet the city council’s technical staff’s feasibility criteria.

Billboards were prepared for polling day (see images in gallery).

Finally, the ballot papers were produced and the students organized themselves to fulfill different functions on voting day.

At this school, the education community was informed about the PB project and its implementation in the center was discussed.

After approval, grade 6 students organized themselves to explain everything to the rest of their classmates: “What are participatory budgets and this PB project for schools?”

Ways of engaging young people

Children were involved through the process of creating the proposals. Once all the proposals had been received, the committee, made up of students, teachers and the management team, met to analyze them in terms of their feasibility.

Students were also involved in campaigning for the proposals and in the organization of polling day.

Role of young people

Participants
Beneficiaries
Helpers
Organizers
Managers to deliver the process

Positive aspects of the project/process

Human level: improvement in values of democracy and participation among students, integrating them into a totally transparent process, which they could be a part of from the beginning. This completed their training as free, responsible citizens with the ability to decide.
Social level: stimulation of social relations, in that the students had been able to exchange opinions, debate, relate to each other and to their environment. This favors their chances of finding their place in society, with respect and tolerance and learning to accept the decisions of the majority.
Didactic level: providing students with knowledge of the decision-making mechanisms in the management of a school constitutes a highly valuable learning goal. They were also able to train in relevant skills through the planning, management and organization of the process.

Main obstacles to the project/process

The children were participative and motivated to carry out the entire project. Understanding the basis of democratic decision-making and respecting the results of the voting process is a fundamental lesson to learn for their future. It has been quite an experience for them to abandon their individual positions and accept the points of view of different students.

One of the biggest problems they have encountered has been the limited time available since the project, although theorized from the beginning of the course, did not start until the middle of the second quarter. It would have been better to propose it at the very beginning of the course, since the number of activities to be carried out increased and it was necessary to take into account school hours and the demands of the curriculum.

Opinion after implementation

Each school conducted its own evaluation.

In general we would affirm that the process was valued very positively. The calendar was fulfilled according to plan and at all times each student was clear about the current state of the process.

All the students were divided into groups and were assigned useful, clear roles to carry out their work, strengthening group cohesion and getting satisfactory results.

Accountability of resources

The Cartagena City Council promotes citizen participation through Participatory Budgets in schools. They provided the funding and the school was responsible for making the investment under the supervision of council technical staff.

1-3 tips (advices, warnings) from organizers or participants

The fact that each group was monitored and facilitated by a teacher was very positive. Students had a person of reference to put their doubts to and to act as a mediator in conflicts. In addition, it allowed teachers to become more actively involved in the project, becoming aware of it and promoting the cohesion of the school community.