The Ministry of Education has confirmed the suppression of the third three-year-old Infant classroom at CEIP El Romeral in Alcoy, leaving 19 children outside the center. This decision, affecting 19 families, has generated significant indignation and will be brought to the Valencian Parliament by the PSPV-PSOE and Compromís, who will demand its reinstatement.
Compromís, along with affected families and representatives from the AMPA and the School Council of the center, has announced they will take the demand to the regional chamber. They explain that the suppression of this unit not only harms 19 families but also severely impacts public education in the city, with repercussions already seen in other centers like Horta Major, where enrollment is full.
The deputy mayor of Alcoy and leader of Compromís, Àlex Cerradelo, has described the decision as "political" and a "disregard" for families and public education. He announced that the parliamentary initiative will force deputies to take a stance on whether they stand with the families or with the "Generalitat's cuts," and questioned the vote of the PP spokesperson, Fernando Pastor.
Both Compromís and the families have criticized the regional administration's silence in response to their demands. Cerradelo also accused the local PP of "lying" and failing to defend the city before the Ministry, stating that "between the PP and Alcoy, they have chosen the PP."
From the PSPV-PSOE of Alcoy, general secretary Lorena Zamorano has denounced that the PP uses the declining birth rate as an "excuse" to dismantle public education, a fundamental pillar for the formation of critical individuals and equal opportunities.
The municipal government of Alcoy has also demanded the reopening of the classroom. The center's management has reported that ten affected families have been referred to Horta Major, which has already completed its enrollment, leaving only distant public places available, such as at CEIP Miguel Hernández or Sant Vicent. This means that half of the city is left without nearby public vacancies, causing "deep distress."
The councilor for Education, Alberto Belda, has denounced the "falsehood of the discourse on educational freedom" promoted by the regional government, which restricts the freedom of families committed to public education. He recalled that reducing class sizes to 18 students per classroom, as in leading European countries, would prevent the closure of units, a proposal rejected by the PP and Vox in the municipal plenary.
The mayor of Alcoy, Toni Francés, has praised the unity of the educational community and urged the Ministry to rectify and "return the third classroom," considering it "unacceptable" to close public classrooms with justified demand.
