In the shadow of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, hundreds of children run, play ball and enjoy the amplitude of the space they have during the recess minutes. This circumstance is new to school students … Integrated Music Father Antonio Soler. Until almost a month ago, the location of his patio was a few steps from the new location, in a park known as La Bolera and a little more sheltered than the current one. This has put on a war footing the parents of the students of this unique center, who demand that “in a priority and urgent way” be recovered “the use of the site where students have lived for two decades.
To understand this situation, it is necessary to go back to 2003, when this school was established – in which hundreds of primary students from the third year, high school and high school; And it was located with a lease contract in what were two of the three trades houses of the renowned monument, located at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama. These buildings, in which at the time of Felipe II were the rooms of those who worked for the kings, are owned by national heritage.
The patio that was used before the bowling alley was in one of the buildings and was “tiny” for the number of students studying in this center, Víctor Ambroa, director of Father Antonio Soler, tells this newspaper. Thus, through the City of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, they got National Heritage to give them without any cost of the space they used until the return of the Christmas holidays. “We cannot claim a place where there is no rental contract and that leave us as long as it was not made of it,” he explains.
A few months ago, National Heritage transferred to the director of this center that they intended to recover this space to transform it into a point of passing of visitors to reach the tourist information office, ticket offices and the memories store, cross the cobblest step and start The visit.
Therefore, now the children are driven in mid -morning and after the time of eating by some monitors with reflective vest to the fish market, an esplanade located on the side of the entrance enabled so that tourists begin their visit to this centenary monument.
The transfer to this space has not been well received by the parents of the students, so they have sent writings to different administrations, among which is the Ministry of Education, the City Council of San Lorenzo de El Escorial and the Ombudsman of the People .
«Students have not only lost a space for their recess, but, while this situation of helplessness is resolved, they are forced to spend their rest time in an uncomfortable and cold area, which is also open to the public, not gathering the safety and health conditions that the enclosure should have, ”they expose in this complaint.
They demand that the previous space be recovered, “which is better protected from the weather” than the fish market, “that does not meet the conditions of security and protection of the image rights of the minors”, since, as they indicate, tourists photographed to the minors.
The address of the integrated center has worked since he has been aware of this requirement to find an ideal place to locate students. Thus, according to Ambroa to this newspaper, it has been possible to enable in addition to this northern wing of the esplanade that surrounds the monastery, an area known as the Canapés, which has more vegetation and is broader. In addition, the director has sent a request to the Municipal Police so that there is an agent to help them go down to the fish market.
Of course, not only has the option to increase control in the area has been considered, the possibility of moving part of the students to the dining room of the College of San Lorenzo is also studied, located a few minutes walk from the CIM Father Antonio Soler, which It is also public and is managed by the Community of Madrid. “Everything that is looking for a solution from within the Ministry of Education itself is better than walking permits to third parties,” says the director.
While they profile a solution that content to all and strengthens the principal’s main concern – security -, children will continue to enjoy the amplitude of the esplanade of an emblematic building. Everything, despite the fact that sometimes the monastery security personnel ask them more careful with the facade of the architectural complex through which great personalities in the history of our country have passed.
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