Nine of Madrid’s 35 official language schools began the academic year without basic administrative staff, forcing directors to step away from teaching and management duties to fill the gaps. With no secretarial or support staff, management teams are processing enrolments and answering student queries, while also taking on paperwork that normally falls outside their roles.
The effects are immediate. At the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (EOI) in Alcorcón, the director now spends her days answering phones and sorting registration forms. She calls the situation “desperate” and “exhausting.” Three out of four administrative jobs have been vacant for months, and the school’s ability to serve students has collapsed. “We are not able to provide proper attention to students,” she says. Enrolment is already down by 200 compared with previous years.
The CCOO union says 61% of public education centres in Madrid began the 2026/27 school year with incomplete staff, while 41% had not received the promised teaching contingent as of September.
Schools in Aranjuez, Coslada, Embajadores, Las Rozas, Parla, Villaverde, Vallecas and San Blas report similar problems. Some directors are working twelve-hour days to keep up with paperwork and student requests. One administrator, who asked not to be named, warns that the crisis could have lasting effects: “With 300 fewer students than usual, we risk losing entire language groups, which means fewer teachers and even lower enrolment in the future. It’s a domino effect.”
The regional government says it is working to fill vacancies, pointing to newly announced positions and efforts to cover absences. But directors say they mostly receive automated replies and empty promises. In some schools, the entire secretarial staff has been missing since last year, and requests for urgent replacements have gone unanswered. “We were clear about our situation and asked for help by September 1, but nothing has changed,” says one member of a management team. She also notes that five teaching posts remain unfilled at her school.
Official regional data shows that the total number of teachers in Madrid’s public centres increased by 1,280 for the 2026/27 academic year, reaching 68,899. The region also added 673 educators for students with special needs. Yet this overall growth has not resolved local staffing shortages, especially in language schools, where administrative and teaching vacancies remain acute.
The union CSIF says administrative staff shortages are widespread across Madrid’s public education sector, with language schools among the hardest hit. Of the 217 administrative posts offered in late August, only 14 were for language schools. The union says it will monitor the situation to ensure promised interim appointments are made.
Classes began on September 8, adding to the pressure. Since 40% of enrolments are usually processed throughout September, directors are juggling last-minute schedule changes and withdrawals, while also handling complaints from students who have not yet been assigned teachers. The paperwork backlog is growing, and the risk of more group closures is real.
Caridad Baena, vice president of the Madrid Association of EOI Teachers, calls the situation “unacceptable,” noting that some schools have been without secretaries for over a year. She says the regional Education Department does not understand the distinct administrative needs of language schools, which differ from those of secondary schools. Luis Zambrano of CC OO agrees. He is calling for immediate action to activate hiring pools, set deadlines for filling vacancies and establish direct communication between schools and territorial management.
Madrid’s language schools are not the only ones struggling at the start of the academic year. As reported earlier, other schools in the region have faced safety and staffing problems, adding to the sense of instability for students and families.
The public education system is under strain. Chronic understaffing and slow bureaucracy threaten adult language learning in Madrid. Government assurances have not translated into real help, leaving directors and teachers to keep schools running but they can. Unless the administration delivers solutions soon, enrolment and teaching quality will suffer, further eroding public trust.
