By Staff Reporter

Copyright theleader

The launch of the new Integrated Vocational Training Centre (CIFP) El Palmeral in Orihuela has been marred by organizational problems that have left 14 students unable to attend classes until further notice.

Several students from Rojales, Almoradí, and Callosa de Segura were unexpectedly assigned to afternoon shifts from 3:15 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., despite having applied for morning classes. With no public transportation available and families unable to provide daily transfers, students like 17-year-old Yaiza from Rojales have been forced to miss lessons since the course began.

Originally, 18 students were excluded from the morning schedule; following repeated complaints, only four have been reassigned, leaving 14 still waiting for a solution. The school administration argues that afternoon slots fall within the “daytime” schedule, though this explanation does little to help those affected.

The problems extend beyond timetables. Some students with learning difficulties have been mistakenly placed in blended-learning programs, while others complain of inadequate admissions management—carried out by a single staff member instead of three. Teachers, whose appointments were delayed until September, had to help clean and prepare classrooms themselves.

Education unions and parent platforms have described the start of the school year as “chaotic,” citing disorganization, incomplete staffing, overcrowded secondary schools, and a lack of resources as the rushed conversion of El Palmeral into a CIFP continues to cause disruption.