Spain's Valencia struggles to get children back to school after deadly floods

By Eva Manez and Michael Francis Gore

Thousands of students in Spain's eastern Valencia region returned to classes on Monday, two weeks after floods killed over 200 people and devastated towns in the area.

Controversy over the regional government's handling of the floods still rages, and a teachers' union accused it of exaggerating the number returning and leaving the clean-up to teachers and pupils.

Twenty-three people remain missing in the Valencia region after heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, sending tides of muddy water through densely populated city suburbs, drowning people in cars and underground car parks, and collapsing homes.

A total of 47 schools in 14 affected municipalities reopened to more than 22,000 children on Monday, the region's education department said. Last week, it said it expected around 70% of students in the worst-affected areas to return this week.

"The schools that have opened their doors today have followed cleaning and disinfection protocols to ensure maximum safety for students, teachers and staff," it added.

But the regional teachers' union STEPV said it believed that the numbers returning on Monday were lower, without providing an alternative figure.

Spokesperson Marc Candela said many schools were not ready to resume lessons, adding: "Teachers and parents are cleaning the schools with their own materials such as brooms."

Educators wanted professional cleaning crews to sanitise facilities, as was done during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Parents are also worried about their children's emotional states, said Ruben Pacheco, head of the regional federation of parents' associations, FAMPA:

"Families are exhausted, suffering psychologically, and nothing should be decided without consulting them so as not to generate more discomfort than they've already suffered."

Candela said the department had held an online course for teachers last week with recommendations for psychological care, but had not dispatched additional counsellors.

Carolina Marti, head teacher at a school in Castellar-Oliveral, said it had received 60 children from neighbouring towns, while five teachers were on medical leave.

She said children and teachers were struggling to reach the school as many roads remained impassable.