The municipal government has presented the opening of the haurreskolak as the result of intense work carried out over the past year, stating it is a "firm step to guarantee access to early childhood education in the municipality." A total investment of 548,425 euros has been made to adapt two new premises for haurreskolak, aiming to create new places for children aged 0 to 2 years.
These new facilities, situated in Jacinto Olabe and Blas Etxeberria, strengthen the network of children's services and expand early schooling options in Eibar. The City Council emphasizes the importance of these facilities for family organization, especially at a time when work-life balance is a major concern for many families.
“"The opening of these haurreskolak is the result of the hard work carried out by the City Council over the last year, both by the political and technical sides, who have dedicated themselves to addressing the needs of the city's parents in the best possible way and with the utmost speed."
However, EH Bildu argues that the reduction in places and the inadequacy of some spaces are leaving several families without a solution. The coalition points out that the increase in haurreskola enrollments has been occurring for the past three years, suggesting that the City Council had sufficient time to anticipate demand and carry out the necessary works.
EH Bildu links the problem's origin to the publicization of the service in 2023 and accuses the local executive of shifting responsibility to the Department of Education and the Haurreskolak Consortium. The party demands exceptional measures to guarantee places for excluded minors, adequate and safe spaces, and a comprehensive plan to ensure sufficient places in the medium and long term.
According to data provided by EH Bildu, the number of available places will decrease from 41 in December to 36 in May. For the 0 to 1-year-old age group, all 16 available places are already filled, leaving at least five families without a spot. In contrast, in the 1 to 2-year-old group, only 4 out of 20 offered places have been taken. This disparity, according to the coalition, reflects "inadequate planning." Furthermore, EH Bildu has questioned the conditions of the Blas Etxeberria haurreskola, citing a lack of suitable space for strollers, an inappropriate outdoor patio for young children, and insufficient indoor space for 16 minors and 4 educators. They also noted that as of April 30, not all necessary furniture had arrived for the planned opening, suggesting a "hasty" launch.
