Teachers in Madrid Launch Indefinite Strike Over Funding and Working Conditions
El Salto
Key Takeaways
- Education professionals across Madrid have launched an indefinite strike organized by over 20 unions and collectives, including the assembly-based group 'Menos Lectivas'.
- Protesters demand a reduction in class sizes, lower teaching hours, increased educational funding, and reduced administrative burdens.
- Madrid currently has the lowest per-pupil education spending in Spain, according to recent economic research.
Context and Motivations
- The strike is the result of years of organizing and unsuccessful negotiations with the regional government led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
- Madrid remains the only region in Spain that has maintained austerity-era increases in teaching hours, which staff are now demanding be reverted to 17 hours for secondary and 22 for primary education.
Core Demands
- Class Size Reduction: Caps of 13 for preschool, 15 for primary, 20 for secondary, and 25 for high school.
- Equity and Anti-Segregation: A strategic plan to support vulnerable students and those with special needs, moving away from systems that foster competition between schools.
- Increased Investment: Addressing the funding gap compared to other regions like the Basque Country; demand for a 600-euro monthly salary supplement for teachers.
- Administrative and Infrastructure Reform: Hiring full-time administrative staff to reduce teacher bureaucracy and implementing a comprehensive plan for classroom climate control and asbestos removal.