The Governing Council of the Junta de Andalucía has this Thursday approved the decree establishing the new territorial organisation in the eight provinces of Andalucía. Although the announcement brings a change of faces in various areas for the province of Málaga, the news has been received with disappointment in Manilva after it was confirmed that Miguel Ángel Briones will continue as territorial delegate for Educational Development and Vocational Training.
This means the educational community of Manilva and Casares will have to keep dealing with the same interlocutor who, according to families and the Town Hall itself, has for years been «stalling» and blocking the project for the second secondary school, which is still waiting, as well as the promised investment in repairs to the current IES Las Viñas, which has not arrived.
Changes in Málaga, but no movement in Education
With the approval of this decree, which will be published in the BOJA, the provincial delegations will have ten territorial areas. In Málaga, five delegates have been replaced:
- Sustainability and Environment: Gemma del Corral returns as head.
- Health and Consumer Affairs: Lucía Yeves Leal (PP senator).
- Tourism, Justice, Deregulation and Local Administration: Belén Rubio Gómez.
- Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development: Laura Soto García.
- Social Services, Families and Equality: Laura Valle Carmona.
By contrast, Antonio Jesús García Acedo (Economy), María Rosa Morales (Housing/Development), Carlos García (Culture) and Carmen Sánchez Sierra (Employment) remain in their posts. The most painful continuity for Manilva is that of Miguel Briones, who holds the powers on which the municipality’s educational future depends and who to date has turned his back on the whole educational community, its representatives and municipal officials.
The man of the 13 ignored calls
For Manilva’s AMPAs (parent-teacher associations), Briones remaining in post is a sign that the administrative ordeal will continue. Families recall that, under his leadership, Manilva Town Hall registered up to 13 requests for a meeting between 2025 and 2026 which were systematically ignored or met with evasive replies.
Briones is singled out as responsible for the administrative contradictions that have paralysed the new school. While in press releases the Junta claimed it was «speeding up the procedure», official resolutions signed by the delegate himself in February 2026 stated that «no formal application had been received» for the new school, even though the Town Hall had repeatedly sent the land transfer files.
A school on the brink
Briones’ reappointment comes while IES Las Viñas is in a situation of «extreme overcrowding»: a school built for 700 pupils that now has 1,400 students.
This overcrowding has led to the loss of vital spaces such as the chemistry laboratory, the library and the cafeteria, which have been converted into ordinary classrooms in an attempt to ease the strain.
The delegate has also been criticised for the «juggling of figures» over emergency repairs at the current school. While Briones publicly announced investment of more than 400,000 euros to fix roofs and skylights, the Junta’s official transparency resolutions reduced that amount to barely 220,000 euros, which families describe as «smoke and propaganda» and which, for the moment, bears out the families’ assessment.
In this scenario, Manilva’s educational community is preparing to keep fighting an administration which, by reappointing Briones, appears to turn its back on demands for justice and dignity for the municipality’s young people.
Carolina España is the current hope
While Briones’ appointment has caused frustration, hope in Carolina España as Third Vice-President of the Junta de Andalucía is gaining strength and enthusiasm within the educational community, since on her visit to Manilva on 14 May, Carolina España announced that the second secondary school will become a reality for the municipality, telling those present that “we have to build a new secondary school for Manilva and we are going to do it”, also insisting that the Andalusian government of her party “delivers what it promises” and adding that the Department of Education “will take the necessary steps so that this school becomes a reality as soon as possible”.
