Opposition parties in Orihuela have called for Education Councillor Vicente Pina to resign following the last-minute closure of CEIP Virgen de la Puerta and the relocation of more than 300 pupils.
Students and teachers were forced to move classes on Thursday to schools in Molins and La Campaneta after structural problems forced the regional education authority to close the building.
The decision followed several days of confusion. Families gathered outside the school on Monday—two days before the scheduled start of term—to protest against the possible closure. The STEPV teaching union said pupils were expected to be transferred to alternative schools.
Orihuela City Council subsequently announced that urgent work and technical inspections were being completed in the hope that children could return to their usual classrooms. It also asked the regional government to postpone the start of term until the following Monday.
However, the school reported on Tuesday that classes would instead begin on Thursday. On Wednesday, the management team confirmed that the Territorial Directorate of Education had ordered pupils and staff to be relocated.
Ciudadanos spokesman José Aix described the handling of the situation as an “absolute disgrace” and demanded access to the full case file. His party wants details of the work undertaken, the timescale involved, the technical assessments of the building and the conditions required before it can reopen.
Cambiemos accused the local government of breaking its promises to families and failing to plan properly. Councillor Quique Montero said officials had known since November that the school was in poor condition but had attempted to address serious structural concerns through temporary repairs.
The party said funding for a replacement school had been secured in 2019, but successive councils had failed to advance the project. It also warned that relocating pupils could separate siblings, remove children from their neighbourhood and create daily transport problems.
PSOE councillor María García said the crisis had been foreseeable and should have been managed with greater preparation. She questioned whether the receiving schools had sufficient classroom space, dining facilities and other essential resources, arguing that the decision had simply transferred the disruption elsewhere.
STEPV also blamed prolonged municipal inaction. The union said the council had kept the school open despite warnings about serious deficiencies and its responsibility for maintaining the building.
According to STEPV, Alicante’s Territorial Directorate requested urgent action in January, including a structural assessment, preventive safety measures and plans for either comprehensive refurbishment or a replacement school. Other recommendations reportedly included removing asbestos-containing materials and improving drainage, air conditioning and sanitary conditions.
The union said an INVASSAT workplace safety report issued on February 12 indicated that the school should not remain open under the existing conditions.
Families now face uncertainty over transport, catering arrangements and how pupils will be divided between the two temporary schools. Questions also remain over how long the closure will last and when a permanent solution will be delivered.
Neither the council nor the regional education authority has yet provided a firm timetable for pupils to return to Virgen de la Puerta or move into a replacement building.
