The School Absenteeism Commission of Cádiz concluded the 2025/2026 academic year with a total of 90 interventions, marking an increase of seven cases compared to the previous year. According to the report presented by the Families Service of the Municipal Delegation of Social Services, out of the processed files, 42 were due to pure school absenteeism, 31 to absenteeism linked to other issues, and 17 to diverse socio-familial or educational situations.
The report highlights an increase in case detection and identifies Secondary Education as the stage with the highest incidence, accounting for 64.86% of cases among students aged 14 to 16. The technical team has emphasized the need to strengthen detection strategies in earlier phases, such as Primary and the first cycle of ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education), to improve prevention and avoid the chronicling of these situations.
During the analyzed period, 23 educational centers referred cases that were subsequently managed by the Family and Child Service after the intervention of the specialized technical team. In total, 33 schools registered problems related to absenteeism or its associated causes. The Local Police of Cádiz, through the Agente Tutor program, participated in 22 files, carrying out family support, home visits, and coordination meetings with municipal and regional resources.
The deputy mayor for Social Development, Pablo Otero, explained that interventions are based on an integral approach, considering not only school attendance but also familial, emotional, and social factors. The report indicates that absenteeism is often linked to academic lag, lack of motivation, or difficulties in adapting to the educational system.
The evolution of the ‘Espacio de Intervención en la Escuela’ (Intervention Space in School) program, a socio-educational support tool in schools, was also discussed. The City Council plans to consolidate this initiative, permanently integrating the socio-educational intervention figure in schools to enhance the link with Community Social Services.
Among the improvement proposals, there is a plan to strengthen inter-institutional coordination in cases that are difficult to resolve and to review files that reach the judicial route. Specific measures are being studied for repeated absenteeism, especially if it affects multiple siblings. Furthermore, periodic coordination with the Public Prosecutor's Office for Minors is proposed for serious cases where available socio-educational resources have been exhausted without success.
In the preventive sphere, entities such as Fundación Márgenes y Vínculos and Fundación Centro Tierra de Todos participated, presenting their programs against school absenteeism. The Commission, which brings together municipal, educational, and social representatives, reaffirms the focus on Secondary Education and early detection as key lines of action for the upcoming academic year.
