The parents of children attending Escola Básica de Meio, in Areosa, protested against the permanent closure of the Leisure Time Activities Center (CATL) managed by the Parochial Social Center of Areosa (CSPA), which closed on August 14, 2026. According to a statement released by the parents, the CSPA direction called a meeting in April to communicate the decision and the respective reasons.
Since then, the parents sought alternatives through the Areosa Parish Council and the Municipal Council of Viana do Castelo to avoid the closure. The document states that the Council offered to help resolve the problems identified by CSPA, but that the institution's direction refused any kind of help, considering the decision final.
The parents emphasize that support for childhood is at the core of the social center's creation, dating back to the 1960s, classifying the CATL as a social response of enormous importance for the Areosa community. They also warn that, without this service, families are forced to resort to private study centers, both during the school term and during school breaks, with prices unaffordable for the majority.
With the new school year already beginning, the parents claim they feel "abandoned, without a social response for the after-school care of primary school children." The protest was published in Semanário Alto Minho.
