The mayor of Alcorcón, Candelaria Testa, emphasized the importance of ensuring adequate thermal conditions in classrooms, comparing it to the comfort adults experience in their workplaces. "Our children need air-conditioned classrooms because we are talking about a public health issue," she stated.
These remarks were made during a meeting with representatives from the FAPA Francisco Giner de los Ríos, which was also attended by the Councilor for Education, Trinidad Castillo, and the federation's president, María Carmen Morillas Vallejo, along with members from various Parent-Teacher Associations (AMPAS).
The meeting addressed the need to enhance climate control in schools and institutes, as well as the issue of insufficient educational places and the demand for a new institute in the Ensanche Sur neighborhood.
“"We have requested from the Spanish Federation of Municipalities that, somehow, this regional competence be bypassed and the funding reach us directly because, from local corporations, we know where to act with priority."
The mayor explained that Alcorcón City Council is requesting that funding for these improvements be channeled directly to municipalities, rather than through the regional administration, a process that, she criticized, is not being executed. She recalled that municipal responsibilities are limited to minor repairs and janitorial staff, while climate control investments can only be made by the Community of Madrid. She noted that in municipal-competency nursery schools, 333,000 euros have already been invested in climate control, with full coverage planned within this term.
The Councilor for Education, Trinidad Castillo, detailed that an external audit has highlighted the lack of climate control as a "relevant and serious incident." An investment of between 10 and 15 million euros is estimated for Alcorcón, suggesting a progressive implementation by the Community of Madrid to ensure thermal comfort in classrooms in the near future.
“"We have been demanding the lack of air conditioning for a long time, more than a decade, and we will not stop because this problem gets worse every year: temperatures are more extreme, and the period during which children and the entire educational community are subjected to these high temperatures is widening."
The president of the FAPA, María Carmen Morillas, expressed gratitude for the institutional support and mentioned that the federation has approached the Ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo, to explain the situation in a meeting described as "very productive." She added that they have been advocating for improved climate control for over a decade, a problem that worsens annually due to extreme temperatures.
