The Education Minister avoids self-criticism during the DANA storm: "Was I responsible for the 500,000 students and 80,000 teachers?"

BarcelonaThe Valencian Minister of Education, José Antonio Rovira, criticized by the educational community for neglecting the management of schools and institutes on October 29, 2024, and for the delayed recovery of the centers after the catastrophe, appeared this morning before the DANA (isolated high-level depression) commission in Congress. On that fateful day a year ago, in the midst of a red alert and when some municipalities were already beginning to suffer torrential rains, the minister did not suspend classes. But not only that: at 1 p.m., he asked his driver to take him home for lunch in the Alicante municipality of San Vicente del Raspeig. The result was that many educational centers were severely damaged, and in most cases, it was the educational community itself that had to clean them up. If he went home during the DANA storm, Rovira also failed to appear when a worker from the public company Tragsa died and another was injured while carrying out repairs at the Lluís Vives school in Massanassa, when a footbridge connecting two buildings collapsed. The City Council had already issued a warning, but the regional minister stated that the school was not at risk of collapse. With this track record, Rovira appeared before Congress and went on the offensive without offering any self-criticism. "Ensuring safety is not within our department's jurisdiction," Rovira responded when ERC deputy Teresa Jordà reminded him of the case of the principal of a school in Cheste who stayed at the school until the end and died on his way home. Thus, the regional minister blamed the principal for abandoning the school and returning to Valencia. "He made a disastrous decision," he stated calmly, before launching an even more chilling rebuke. "As Minister of Education, am I supposed to look after 500,000 students and 80,000 teachers?" he asked, to the astonishment of the parliamentary group spokespeople. "You are everything a Minister of Education shouldn't be. You're a minister who was nowhere to be found when you were most needed," the Republican deputy retorted.

"Are you aware that if you had taken the political lead and closed the schools, Neizan and her parents, and José, the principal of the Cheste high school, would be alive today?" Compromís deputy Alberto Ibáñez also asked, referring to the deaths of the parents and the father. Rovira, however, insisted that the Ministry of Education was not responsible for closing the schools, although it is the body with the authority to guarantee their safety. The Minister acknowledged that he did not send any communication to the schools or to his staff to warn them of the red alert, and stated that it is the municipalities that have the power to close them. In fact, he admitted that the first circular the Ministry of Education sent to schools was on October 31, two days after the disaster. He also said that he does not recall whether the former Minister Salomé Pradas, responsible for emergencies, informed them of any weather warnings, although, as she said yesterday on the program... Saved, He reported on the situation at the Council meeting

He went back to his village only for "personal and family reasons"

The regional minister acknowledged leaving the city of Valencia at midday on October 29th, but blamed the Spanish government delegation in the Valencian Community for that decision, claiming they said "the storm was heading towards Cuenca at 6:00 PM," the same excuse used by former Valencian president Carlos Ma. "I left with the false sense of security conveyed to us by the government delegate," he reiterated, but admitted that his schedule in Alicante didn't include any official events, but rather "personal and family matters." Mikel Otero, of EH Bildu, countered, pointing out that Bernabé had said that day that the red alert could be extended beyond 6:00 PM because rain was expected throughout the day. "If I had had accurate information about what was going to happen, I wouldn't have left under any circumstances," he said. In this regard, he asserted that the proof of this alleged lack of information is that the town councils did not convene their Cecopal (Local Emergency Coordination Centers), ignoring the fact that the Generalitat (Valencian Government) is responsible for sending this information to the town councils. He also admitted, in response to questions from the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), that he had never read the special flood plan, which clearly states that the responsibility lies with the Generalitat, and not the Spanish government delegation, as Rovira had previously claimed. Regarding his absence after the death of the worker who was rebuilding a school, the regional minister excused himself by saying that it was "Sunday" and he was with his family after a very busy month. "Are you saying that regional ministers should always be in their offices on Saturdays and Sundays?" Rovira retorted.