Las Mercedes school in San Blas-Canillejas remains closed until Tuesday after ceiling panels fell. Two others in Ciudad Lineal have also suffered flooding.
The nursery school Las Mercedes, in the San Blas-Canillejas district, will remain closed until next Tuesday after firefighters evacuated the centre last Tuesday due to the "serious" risk of roof collapse. Several classrooms were flooded due to the rains, according to the Labour Platform of Nursery Schools (PLEI), as reported by Público.
Two other nursery schools, El Encinar and Gigantes y Cabezudos, both in the Ciudad Lineal district, have also been affected by the rainfall. At Gigantes y Cabezudos, the flooding forced the closure of several classrooms, while at El Encinar, the area management visited the centre on Tuesday to check its condition after receiving videos showing "water pouring from the ceilings," according to the staff, who added that the manager "did not find it relevant."
María Quiles, a nursery educator at Las Mercedes, explains that the situation is not isolated: "When all the classrooms are flooded due to the rains, where do we protect the children? They are very small, and the risk of a tragedy occurring is very high." Quiles claims that the Madrid City Council merely asks for the children to be regrouped in other classrooms and demands that the workers' complaints be addressed.
It is us who are sustaining something completely unsustainable, without the support, protection, and work of those responsible for Madrid's nursery schools: the Madrid City Council and the Community
The platform has submitted two reports on the state of the infrastructure of the Madrid public network. The first details deficiencies in 38 CEIP with classrooms for the first cycle of nursery (0-3 years), and the second outlines problems in 29 nursery schools. According to PLEI, all the centres listed are directly managed, and both lists have been known to the Ministry of Education of the Community of Madrid and the City Council since June.
The documents describe classrooms that exceed 30 degrees, leaks, dampness, cracks, outdated windows and boilers, as well as safety issues, poorly adapted bathrooms and changing rooms, deteriorated playgrounds without shade, access difficulties, and insufficient or poorly distributed spaces. In the CEIPs, many classrooms for 0 to 3 years have been incorporated into buildings designed for other educational stages.
Rosa Marín, spokesperson for PLEI, states that the lack of institutional response constitutes "mistreatment" and "institutional violence." "There are leaks, dampness, and they do nothing. Until something happens, until the infrastructure is completely affected, they do nothing," she denounces. Marín calls for action on the facilities and also on working conditions: "We need to start working on the infrastructure, hire staff, cover absences, and sit down to negotiate decent salaries." Otherwise, she warns, "this conflict will continue, and childhood will continue to be mistreated."
The spokesperson points out that the problems affect the entire network, both directly and indirectly managed centres, and highlights "underfunding" and a lack of investment by the Municipal District Councils.
Las Mercedes will reopen next Tuesday if no new incidents occur. Until then, the children from the centre will need to be accommodated in other facilities.
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