The Town Hall of l'Alcúdia de Crespins, governed by the PP, has opened a public consultation to change the name of IES Isabel-Clara Simó, the only educational centre in Valencia that honours the Alcoy writer.
IES Isabel-Clara Simó, located in l'Alcúdia de Crespins (Valencia), could lose its current name if the public consultation led by the mayor, Francisco Javier Sicluna Lletget (PP), is successful. The centre, which became an independent institute in 2020, is the only one in the entire Valencian Community that bears the name of the Alcoy writer, who passed away on January 13 of that same year.
The municipal government, which holds an absolute majority with seven of the thirteen councillors, argues that Isabel-Clara Simó "does not have the merits to have the institute in Alcudia de Crespins named after her" and that her literary work has no connection to the locality. The alternatives being considered are related to local toponymy, and maintaining the current name is not an option.
The director of the centre, Gabriela Reig, explained at the time that the choice of name came after the author's death, when they were looking for "the name of a relevant woman in the cultural world." They contacted Simó's daughter and her publisher, who expressed their pride in the decision, and the School Council approved the name.
The proposal has generated backlash. Compromís Alcoy has announced a motion of condemnation for the next municipal plenary, and its spokesperson, Àlex Cerradelo, has described the initiative as "an unjustified attack on the memory and legacy of one of the most prominent figures in Valencian culture."
Additionally, more than forty writers from the regions of L'Alcoià, the Comtat, the Costera, and the Canal have signed a manifesto expressing their total disagreement. They argue that the current name is a deserved recognition and that removing it would send the message that tributes can be questioned without objective reasons. They emphasise that the name Isabel-Clara Simó is synonymous with quality and that keeping it alive is to maintain a commitment to culture, language, feminism, education, and free thought.
Mayor Sicluna Lletget previously governed between 2007 and 2015 and lost power for two terms to a coalition of PSPV-PSOE and Compromís. In the 2023 elections, he regained the mayoralty with an absolute majority, and the name change of the institute was included in his electoral programme.
If there are no changes, the result of the consultation will be known in September. Once the decision is made, the Department of Education will need to ratify it.
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