- PSOE Vega Baja criticizes the chaotic start of the 2023-2024 school year in the comarca and the Valencian community.
- Challenges include incomplete teaching staff,overcrowded classrooms,use of prefabricated barracks,and poor management of vocational training.
- Notable issues at CEIP Gloria Fuertes, CEIP nº20 in Orihuela Costa, and delays in the new CEIP nº16 in Torrevieja.
- Vocational education reorganization at IES El Palmeral creates logistical and infrastructure problems.
- The party calls for better planning, investment, and dialog with the educational community to ensure quality public education.
PSOE Vega Baja Denounces Chaotic Start to the School Year Amid Staffing and infrastructure Crisis
The PSOE Vega Baja has raised the alarm over a chaotic and concerning start to the 2023-2024 academic year in the Vega Baja comarca and across the Comunitat Valenciana. They point to incomplete teaching rosters, overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated infrastructure, and what they call an “improvised” management of vocational Training (Formación Profesional) as key problems affecting the public education system.
Incomplete Staff and Overcrowded Classrooms
Numerous centers, including CEIP Gloria Fuertes in San Miguel de Salinas, are still operating without a full complement of teachers. At this particular school,just two teachers are responsible for 60 three-year-olds,while vital roles like tutors,educators,and guidance counselors remain unfilled.this understaffing puts enormous pressure on educators, who report having no time for coordination or proper planning, especially when identifying and addressing specific student needs.
Worsening Infrastructure Problems
Infrastructure issues compound the difficulties faced by the education community:
- Schools with crumbling buildings requiring urgent repairs.
- Institutes propped up with temporary supports but lacking permanent solutions.
- Widespread use of prefabricated classrooms (“barracones”) as a stopgap measure.
Such as, CEIP nº20 in Orihuela Costa fully operates in prefabricated classrooms, and the upcoming CEIP nº16 in Torrevieja, expected to open in January, will likely continue relying on such temporary facilities.
Vocational Training in Disarray
The socialists particularly criticize the mishandling of Formación Profesional due to the hurried and poorly planned conversion of IES El Palmeral into a CIPFP (Professional Training Center). This move was marked by controversy after funding of €13.2 million initially earmarked for a new center in Guardamar was redirected. The outcome: unfinished works, poorly allocated seats, and overcrowding in other secondary schools absorbing displaced students.
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| Teacher shortages | Many centers operating with incomplete teams; shortage of tutors and educators. |
| Overcrowded classrooms | Example: 2 teachers for 60 children aged 3 at CEIP Gloria Fuertes. |
| Infrastructure | Many schools rely on prefabricated classrooms; crumbling buildings. |
| Vocational Training | Chaotic transition of IES El Palmeral into CIPFP; unfinished projects and overcrowding elsewhere. |
Political Statements and Calls for Action
Camilo Martínez,secretary of Education of the PSOE Vega Baja,criticized the current regional government’s handling of the situation,blaming “sectarianism and improvisation” by the Consell led by Mazón and Rovira. He highlighted the consequences of the current management:
- Teaching staff shortages
- Massification of classrooms
- Reliance on temporary barracks
Martínez urged a return to the previous Botànic management’s model, emphasizing the need for planning, investment, and constructive dialogue with educational stakeholders to modernize public education effectively.
Meanwhile, Joaquín Hernández, Secretary General of PSOE Vega Baja, stressed that the condition of schools in the comarca mirrors a broader decline across the Valencian Community. Hernández condemned the government’s alleged preference for propaganda and budget cuts rather than ensuring quality education as a basic right.
PSOE Vega Baja’s Demands to the Consell
The local PSOE insists that education is the cornerstone of equality and future opportunities. They demand that the Consell:
- Rectify current policies and management practices
- Provide sufficient qualified teaching staff
- Invest in dignified educational infrastructure
- Implement thoughtful, clear planning for the educational community
The community’s message is clear: they do not ask for more than the basics needed to guarantee quality public education.
Conclusion
The start of the 2023-2024 school year in Vega Baja reveals notable challenges that threaten the quality and equity of public education in the area. From serious staffing shortages and overcrowded classrooms to inadequate infrastructure and mismanagement of vocational education, educators, families, and political leaders alike call for urgent change. The PSOE Vega Baja’s pointed critique underscores a wider call for better governance, investment, and involvement of the educational community to secure a brighter future for students across the Valencian Community.