News
Schools in the Sierra Oeste will open in September without serious fire damage
Schools and secondary schools in the Sierra Oeste will be able to begin the new academic year normally after the serious forest fires in July. Inspections carried out in the affected municipalities have found no significant damage to educational buildings, and work is now focused on cleaning and repairing minor damage before September.
One of the centres causing the greatest concern was CEIP Río Alberche de Pelayos de la Presa. The fire front came to within around 200 metres of its premises, and the school was also used as a base by one of the brigades of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias that took part in extinguishing the fire. Despite the proximity of the fire, the building did not suffer serious damage.
Municipal services and the Consejería de Educación are now carrying out cleaning work and minor interventions at nursery schools, primary schools and secondary schools. Some fences and outdoor play equipment will have to be repaired or replaced because they were affected by the high temperatures, although the flames did not reach them directly.
During the most difficult days of the fire, it was necessary to alter educational activity. A total of 17 Educación Infantil centres in 16 municipalities temporarily suspended their classes, a decision that affected more than 300 children. The centres gradually resumed activity as the situation improved.
The emergency also made it necessary to change the enrolment timetable to prevent evacuated or confined students from losing a place. In FP Básica and Grado Medio, those who have already been allocated a place will be able to enrol on 1, 2 and 3 September. New periods will then open to fill any vacancies that remain available.
In Grado Superior, enrolment for admitted students will likewise take place from 1 to 3 September, while the final places will be allocated during the second half of the month. The Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas are also moving their main procedures to the first days of September.
There will also be a solution for families unable to return to their homes. The Servicios de Apoyo a la Escolarización will facilitate school or secondary-school transfers for those who have had to move temporarily or permanently to another locality because of the damage caused by the fire.
The return to classrooms will therefore be one of the first clear signs of recovery for the affected municipalities. After evacuations, road closures and weeks of emergency work, September will bring pupils and teachers back to centres that came very close to the fire but will be able to resume their usual activity from the start of the school year.