Strong criticism of the storm's education management; PSOE called it a chaos
The PSOE of the Canary Islands reiterated its critical view of the handling by the Regional Ministry of Education during the heavy rains that hit Gran Canaria on Tuesday. Socialist Organization Secretary Nira Fierro denounced in a press conference on Thursday the “chaos” experienced that day by the educational community, attributing it to a total lack of response from the ministry.
Fierro emphasized that this was not an isolated incident but part of a repeated pattern of behavior in the face of adverse weather events.
“Heat wave, chaos. Rain, chaos. The problem originates from the same source: the Ministry of Education,” she said, describing the situation as a systemic issue.
Calls for Accountability
Parliamentary Education spokesperson Marcos Hernández announced that the Socialist Group will request the appearance of Education Minister Poli Suárez in a plenary session to provide the necessary explanations.
“First families were told to pick up their children, then the instruction was retracted, and later a staggered dismissal was proposed.”
According to Hernández, on the morning of Tuesday, March 23, a series of contradictory decisions created confusion among families, students, and teachers. He described the lack of planning as evidence of an “improvised and unclear” management approach.
Delegation of Responsibility
The party also criticized the ministry for shifting responsibility to schools and other administrations.
“We have seen mayors making decisions that should have been taken by the Canary Islands Government, as in Arucas, and school management teams acting without clear guidelines.”
Fierro warned that the episode posed an “unnecessary risk” for the educational community. Both leaders agreed that the priority must be to ensure the safety of students and teaching staff, a goal they claim was not achieved on that day.
Wider Consensus
The PSOE rejected accusations of political opportunism, noting that unions, parents’ associations, and other educational groups have also labeled the day a “real disaster.”
Fierro lamented the “silence” of the Education Minister following the incident:
“Until this morning we had not heard the Education Minister give any public explanations, despite the seriousness of the events.”
Conclusion
The PSOE of the Canary Islands concluded its statement by denouncing the “lack of leadership and planning” in the educational response to emergencies and demanding clear protocols to prevent similar episodes from recurring.