Families of students from CEIP Francisco Villaespesa and IES El Parador, located in the El Parador neighborhood of Roquetas de Mar, have expressed deep concern over the condition of both centers. They claim to have been facing infrastructure problems and lack of space for decades, which they describe as "unsustainable," affecting over a thousand students.
At CEIP Francisco Villaespesa, a center over 50 years old with 600 students, the deficiencies are particularly severe. The main building is described as "very old and obsolete," with structural, maintenance, and capacity issues. Sandra, president of the AMPA (Parents' Association) of CEIP Francisco Villaespesa, has denounced the administration's lack of response to their requests for technical information on the building's condition.
“"There is a report on the school that the City Council has; we have requested it on several occasions, and they do not give it to us. The columns there have aluminosis, but they do not want to release that report for that reason."
The AMPA representative criticizes that, instead of structural solutions, superficial measures have been implemented, such as covering columns with walls. She recalls that even the mayor acknowledged the situation, calling the school a "calamity" and promising a new center, a promise that, unfortunately, has not materialized. Deficiencies include electrical problems, lack of air conditioning, and bathroom issues, in addition to overcrowded classrooms, which have led to classes being held in hallways.
The situation at IES El Parador, with about 500 students, is no better in terms of capacity. Although the building is more recent (inaugurated in 2003), it was initially designed only for ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education), and its subsequent expansion for Bachillerato (Baccalaureate) did not include the necessary space adaptation. This has resulted in prefabricated classrooms and improvised constructions. Susana, president of the AMPA Bahía of IES El Parador, points out that the demands at this secondary school also have a long history.
“"There are children who have been in prefabricated plasterboard classrooms for years. Leisure areas, even shaded spaces, have been used for classes."
Last winter, the prefabricated classrooms suffered from dampness and mold, even forcing the evacuation of one due to structural risk. Families question the educational planning of the City Council, fearing that the solution will be to transfer their children to other centers in Roquetas de Mar, which would involve travel and buses.
Families from both centers agree that the solution requires collaboration between the Roquetas de Mar City Council, responsible for land cession, and the Junta de Andalucía, responsible for educational investment. They demand "real solutions: a new school and the expansion of the institute," instead of "patches" that do not solve the structural problem of student growth versus insufficient infrastructure.
