For more than a month, Ceuta has been living on edge because of its border. Of the people entering, those returning, those sleeping on the streets and beaches, the security devices, and a humanitarian crisis that has disrupted the daily functioning of a city of barely 19 square kilometers.
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But while administrations, security forces, and emergency services try to restore normality, a date is approaching that forces attention towards schools.
This September 8, about 13,400 students are called to return to the classrooms of Ceuta.
The question now is whether they will be able to return to classrooms normally.
An overwhelmed city
Everything changed on July 30 and 31. Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants crossed the border irregularly from Morocco in an entry of a magnitude never seen before in Ceuta.
Initial figures placed the number of entries around 80,000 people, practically equivalent to the entire population of the city. Later, the Government clarified that the official figure is 72,000.
Most returned to Morocco during the first days. A month later, the Ministry of the Interior estimates that around 5,000 people remain in Ceuta, approximately 1,500 of them minors.
The Government ended up declaring on August 25 a situation of interest for national security in Ceuta, officially recognizing that the entry had generated unprecedented pressure on border control.
Security problems were added to the humanitarian emergency.
During these weeks, altercations, assaults, and confrontations have occurred. Four Moroccan migrants were expelled after assaulting three civil guards who tried to identify them, and another eleven were expelled after a stone attack on soldiers in Benzú. The Prosecutor’s Office has also recorded 23 sexual assaults since the beginning of the crisis.
When the crisis enters schools
The consequences have also reached educational centers. Since July 30, intrusions have been detected in seven schools and institutes in Ceuta.
One of the most significant cases was that of CEIP José Ortega y Gasset. Several immigrants irregularly accessed its facilities to spend the night, causing damage and health problems inside the center.
The question is inevitable: are schools prepared to reopen their doors?
From school to reception center and back to school
The Ministry of Youth and Childhood made three educational centers available to authorities to temporarily house immigrant minors. Two were ultimately used: CEIP Príncipe Felipe and CEIP Reina Sofía.
Now they must take the reverse path.
The minors have already left both schools, and the facilities are being prepared to resume their educational activity.
The Ministry assures that possible damages have been repaired and that they will be ready for the start of the school year.
Parents facing a decision that seemed unthinkable
The situation has brought an unexpected decision to families. On September 8, schools will open, but it will be the parents who each morning must decide whether to take their children to school.
The FAMPA Cuatro Culturas, the Youth Council, and the Student Movement have warned that some students might not attend classes during the first weeks of the school year.
Sebastián, a member of the Board of Directors of FAMPA Cuatro Culturas, has said he sees the start of the school year “with much uncertainty” and that families “are afraid,” he pointed out in statements to Europa Press.
According to his organization, some parents are considering not taking their children to school during the first days.
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The issue is safety.
For some, the announced measures are sufficient. For others, doubts still remain.
Education guarantees the opening
From Education, the message is clear: the school year must start.
The Secretary of State for Education, Abelardo de la Rosa, has confirmed that the calendar will be maintained and that the measures adopted seek to provide security and peace of mind to families.
The Local Security Board has designed an extraordinary device that includes uniformed presence near the centers and surveillance of the routes students take.
Surveillance will also be reinforced during afternoons and nights to prevent new unauthorized access to the buildings.
Additionally, Education has announced a psychosocial support plan aimed at students and families to cope with the stress generated by what has happened in recent weeks.
Estel Delgado, psychologist
“Returning to school can help children regain a sense of normality”
According to Estel Delgado, school psychologist at Escolàpies Llúria (Barcelona), a social tension situation like the one experienced in Ceuta can generate “fear, uncertainty, or worry” in minors, even if they have not directly witnessed any incident. Children, she explains, are especially sensitive to the emotional climate around them and can perceive adults’ unease even if they do not fully understand what is happening.
Delgado considers that “recovering the school routine can be beneficial” as long as there are objective safety conditions. Returning to school allows recovering schedules and social relationships, elements that provide a sense of normality.
However, she warns that some minors may experience “fear or reluctance to return,” especially if they associate their school with any episode they perceive as threatening. In those cases, she recommends listening to the child, accompanying them, and conveying security.
Regarding the possibility of delaying the start of the school year, Delgado points out that it does not have to be harmful in all cases, especially if there are objective safety reasons. However, she considers that “an excessive prolongation of the exceptionality can make minors perceive the situation as more serious.” If conditions allow returning, progressively recovering routines is usually beneficial.
Interview
- After everything experienced in Ceuta during this last month, how can this situation affect children?
”A social tension situation can generate fear, uncertainty, or worry in anyone who perceives or knows about it, including minors even if they have not directly experienced the incident. The impact will depend on exposure, knowledge, family environment, and the sense of security perceived.” - To what extent does a child really understand what is happening around them?
”It depends a lot on their age, level of development, and the amount and type of information they are exposed to. It is not only about how much they understand but how they interpret the information they receive and from which sources.” - Even if they have not directly experienced any incident, can they be affected simply by the atmosphere of concern in the city?
”Yes. Children are especially sensitive to the emotional climate of their environment. Even if they cannot understand certain aspects of conversations or news, they do notice adults’ concern.” - Do children absorb the fear or insecurity they perceive in their parents?
”Children can be influenced by the emotions they observe in their parents. This does not mean parents should hide these emotions but convey them in a measured way, appropriate to the child’s age, while also offering security and explaining the measures taken to protect them.” - What signs can indicate that a child is suffering emotionally because of what happened?
”Any change in usual behavior can indicate emotional difficulty. Some examples could be changes in sleep, irritability, increased emotional dependence on parents, somatizations, or increased anxiety or nervousness. An isolated sign or specific behavior does not imply a psychological problem.” - How important is it now to recover such a basic routine as returning to school?
”It is very important. Routine has a function of security, knowledge, and structure. Returning to usual activities can help the child regain a sense of normality.” - Can delaying the start of classes be harmful if conditions exist to return?
”Not necessarily in all cases, but a long delay can alarm minors about the seriousness of the event. If there are objective safety conditions, progressively recovering routines is usually beneficial.” - Do you think specific psychological support will be necessary in Ceuta’s schools during the coming weeks?
”Yes, during the coming weeks and throughout the school year in general. Psychological support is always relevant and beneficial.” - How should schools manage that security device so that it affects students as little as possible?
”In the most normalized way possible, avoiding making it the sole focus of attention. It should not be avoided but regulated. A simple explanation is necessary to ensure a reassuring and common perspective.” - What role will teachers have during the first weeks?
”They will be especially important figures in promoting respect, detecting behavior changes, listening to concerns, and restoring normality within the classroom.”
Has normality really returned?
Ceuta has gone in barely a month from receiving tens of thousands of people to trying to recover its daily life.
Most of those who crossed the border are no longer in the city. Thousands more still remain. Administrations seek solutions, and neighbors continue facing the consequences of the crisis.
But has Ceuta returned to normal?
The answer is not simple. And perhaps one of the places where it can be best checked is in schools.
Few things represent routine better than going back to class. Getting up in the morning, preparing the backpack, meeting classmates, entering the classroom, and sitting in front of the teacher.
But opening the doors of a school does not necessarily mean normality has been recovered.
Because if Ceuta still wonders when it will recover normality, this September 8 it will have to answer a much more concrete question: is it possible to return to something as everyday as school?
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