Madrid Teachers Protest Amid Stalled Negotiations

• Educators in Madrid held a second day of strikes across non-university levels, forming a human chain in front of the regional Department of Education.
• The protest highlighted a significant disconnect between the regional government's proposed agenda and the actual demands of teaching staff.
• Participants emphasized that their grievances are focused on systemic classroom conditions rather than salary.

Core Demands

• Reduction of student-to-teacher ratios.
• Improved infrastructure and better-equipped school facilities.
• Increased support for students with special educational needs, including policy changes regarding how such students are counted in class totals.
• Reduction of total teaching hours, a long-standing demand of the teaching staff.

Negotiating Conflict

• Labor Response: Unions including CCOO walked out of a meeting called by the Department of Education, labeling it a "distraction maneuver" meant to bypass the strike's core issues.
• Government Stance: Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid, and Education Minister Mercedes Zarzalejo have characterized the strikes as politically motivated, labeling them "electoralist" and accusing leftist groups of hijacking the streets.