Carmela González, a deputy from the BNG (Galician Nationalist Bloc) representing Vigo, has urged the regional education minister, Román Rodríguez, to address the shortage of teaching staff at Vila Laura Infant School in Vigo. The school currently employs 12 teachers, falling short of the 13 mandated by official guidelines.
In response to Rodríguez's comments that downplayed the issue, suggesting that the main concern was merely a reorganisation, González countered that while it may not seem significant to him, it is crucial for families who feel their children are not receiving the education they are entitled to. She emphasised, “10+3 equals 13, and 13 does not equal 12.”
González highlighted a specific incident from 29 September, when a four-year-old child had to wait 15 minutes outside the school with his mother after returning from a medical appointment. They were only allowed entry when a passing janitor happened to open the door. Once inside, they had to wait again for a teacher to escort the child to the classroom. The local parents' association (ANPA) has been advocating for the additional teacher for 42 weeks, stating, “It is not a lack of will, but a lack of hands.”
She explained that the absence of staff means there is no one available to answer the phone or open the door, which leads to such situations. Additionally, González reported that on 15 October, students in four classrooms of four-year-olds spent a significant portion of their school day in the playground due to the unexpected absence of a teacher. Although the children were supervised, they did not receive the educational attention they deserve.
González described the justifications provided by officials from the Ministry of Education and the territorial delegate of the Xunta in Vigo as “incomprehensible.” She reiterated that the roles of special education teachers (PT) and learning support teachers (AL) are to assist students with specific needs, not to fill in for absent teachers. “What are they supposed to do when a teacher is ill? Leave their students unattended?” she questioned.
According to González, the ministry's approach amounts to “robbing Peter to pay Paul,” which fails to guarantee students at Vila Laura the right to quality education every school day. She also noted that the remaining teachers are under increased pressure to cater to all students with one less staff member.
