A heated debate continues in Spain about the state of educational infrastructure. In Rivas Vaciamadrid, where families of CEIP Hispanidad students have been forced to spend the night in an unfinished school building, the issue has become especially acute. Five years of waiting for the promised classrooms, laboratories, and gym have led to a mass protest, which has become a symbol of the fight for decent learning conditions for children.
Families faced with a shortage of places in other schools have found themselves with no choice but to demand change directly. According to El Pais, around 50 families organized an overnight ‘camp’ inside the school walls to draw attention to the stalled construction. Parents, children, and even grandparents gathered together to express their frustration at the authorities’ inaction. The atmosphere was festive: children made paper chains, adults played improvised batucada, and homemade dishes and a pony-shaped cake appeared on the tables.
Unfinished walls
The CEIP Hispanidad building remains incomplete despite a steady increase in student numbers. The contractor abandoned the project halfway through, forcing parents to look for temporary solutions. The school’s furniture is only suitable for the youngest children, while older students have to make do in cramped spaces. Some parents are already considering transferring their children to other schools, even if they are inconveniently located, as at least those institutions have proper classrooms and a library.
In the evening, families gathered for a ‘dinner’ where they discussed not only daily hardships but also prospects. Many noted that the lack of clear deadlines from regional authorities leads to disappointment and uncertainty about the future. According to parents, the children are fully aware of the situation: they dream of a library, a gym, and proper restrooms, not temporary partitions and improvised classrooms.
The authorities’ silence
The silence from Madrid’s administration is especially frustrating. Parents have received neither completion dates for the work nor proposals for interim solutions. Even the municipality’s promises to plant greenery around the parking area do not address the main issue—the lack of proper educational facilities. At the same time, as El Pais notes, support from the local community remains high: even those whose children have already graduated or never attended the school joined the protest.
While the adults discussed plans, children watched the film ‘Mi villano favorito’ on mats in the only available room. Parents admit the school project is evolving on the fly, with temporary measures turning into permanent ones. In the morning, despite fatigue, families continued the protest: a breakfast with chocolate and a joint clean-up were followed by a kids’ batucada and songs in support of education.
Impact on education
The situation in Rivas Vaciamadrid is not unique. In recent years, Spain has seen an increase in cases where school construction is delayed for years, forcing children to study in cramped conditions. According to russpain.com, a shortage of specialists and contractor-related issues drive up project costs and cause delays, ultimately affecting the quality of education. In similar cases in other regions, parents have also organized protests, nighttime vigils, and collective appeals to the authorities.
The issue of building and renovating educational facilities remains pressing in many Spanish cities. Experience shows that only active involvement from parents and the public can move the situation forward. At the same time, rising construction wages and a shortage of workers across Spain are making the problem of unfinished projects worse, making completion even more unpredictable.
In recent years, Spain has repeatedly seen situations where parents are forced to stage protests due to delayed construction of schools and kindergartens. In some cases, this has led to temporary solutions, such as installing modular classrooms or holding lessons in alternative buildings. However, these measures rarely resolve the problem completely. In regions experiencing rapid population growth, such as Madrid and its suburbs, the timely completion of educational facilities is especially critical. Such cases highlight the importance of monitoring the fulfillment of government contracts and the need for transparency in contractors’ work.
