The STEPV union has described the situation in Orihuela Costa’s schools as “unsustainable” and is calling for urgent intervention from both the regional ministry and the city council.
According to the union, schools in the coastal area are facing severe deficiencies, including a shortage of teachers—two months into the school year—as well as inadequate space and outdated infrastructure. They attribute this “deficient management” to both the Regional Ministry of Education and the Orihuela City Council, noting that nearly all schools in Orihuela Costa have unfilled staff positions and student-teacher ratios that exceed legal limits. Some classrooms have more than 27 students, despite regulations setting the maximum at 20.
These issues affect both long-established schools and newer ones, such as CEIP No. 20. Opened last March entirely in temporary prefabricated units, the school is already too small and cannot accommodate a third class. Additional prefabricated classrooms are planned for the playground, further reducing space for recess and physical activity.
Initially functioning as an annex of CEIP Playas de Orihuela, CEIP No. 20 only gained administrative independence after a decree by the Consell on July 1. The union reports that the school currently lacks lunchroom monitors and specialist educators, has class sizes of up to 25 students, and serves a student population that is largely foreign-born and faces considerable language barriers.
STEPV also highlights infrastructural problems: outdoor areas without shade, missing sports equipment, a lack of drinking fountains, broken toilets requiring repairs from Valencia, insufficient safety fencing, and a shortage of cleaning staff.
CEIP Playas de Orihuela, the school to which CEIP No. 20 was originally attached, is also experiencing serious personnel issues. The union states that the elimination of Support and Improvement Program (PAM) resources has led to a major reduction in teaching staff and a sharp decline in individualized student support.
Meanwhile, CEIP Los Dolses—another overcrowded school—has seen little improvement despite the creation of CEIP No. 20 to ease pressure. It currently has 610 students, far exceeding its capacity of 400, and enrollment continues to rise. Due to limited space, hallways and undersized rooms have been converted into makeshift classrooms.
The school also lacks primary support staff and sufficient Special Education (SEP) hours. Only 20% of students are Spanish nationals, making communication and classroom management more challenging. The union adds that low family involvement and the lack of support programs—such as co-teaching or Spanish-language instruction for foreign students—exacerbate the situation. They also criticize the education inspector for failing to issue the reports needed to allocate additional SEP and Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) hours.
In March, families in Orihuela Costa protested the poor conditions in local schools—particularly CEIP No. 20—demanding adequate facilities and an end to classroom overcrowding. Months later, many issues remain unresolved. STEPV warns that the system is being pushed “to the brink of collapse,” with direct consequences for educational quality.
The union is urging the Regional Ministry of Education and the Orihuela City Council to take immediate, coordinated action to address what it calls a “serious educational crisis” in Orihuela Costa.
