A total of 25 students from Monte Lope Álvarez, La Bobadilla, and Santiago de Calatrava have started the school year without transportation. This has led the mayors of Martos, Emilio Torres, and Santiago de Calatrava, Rocío Zamora, to strongly criticize the management of the Junta de Andalucía. Both officials have submitted a joint letter demanding an immediate solution to a problem they believe "curtails" citizens' rights and contributes to the depopulation of rural areas.
The mayor of Martos, Emilio Torres, has pointed out the "absolute lack of improvisation" and urged the delegate for Education, José Solano, to "get to work and solve it." He also criticized the "lack of formal information" from the Junta, as the only response received was via WhatsApp.
For her part, the mayor of Santiago de Calatrava has announced upcoming mobilizations with the FAMPA (Federation of Parents' Associations), directly holding the Junta de Andalucía and the Partido Popular Government responsible for "not believing in rural areas." Affected families are preparing a complaint to the Guardia Civil if the situation is not resolved.
The Councilor for Education in Martos, Gema Lara, highlighted the City Council's efforts to get schools operational but warned about the lack of resources. Several educational centers are suffering from a shortage of PTIS (Specialized Integration Technicians) and full-time Speech and Language teachers, forcing a single teacher to attend to up to 60 children with special educational needs. Additionally, the IES San Felipe Neri is missing 10% of its staff.
In light of this situation, the Junta de Andalucía has been urged to listen to the teachers' demands. As a unanimous decision, it has been decided that the school calendar's non-teaching days will be May 3rd and 4th.
