Madrid Childcare Educators Begin New School Year With Ongoing Strike

• Educators at preschools in the Community of Madrid have entered a new academic year while maintaining an indefinite strike that began on April 7.
• The strike, organized by the Labor Platform for Preschools (PLEI) and supported by the CGT union, demands fair wages, reduced child-to-teacher ratios, and the mandatory presence of two educators per classroom.
• Despite the start of the school year, workers remain committed to the strike, citing a complete lack of progress from regional authorities.

Core Demands and Stagnation

• The regional government and the Madrid City Council have continued to renew service contracts under existing, stagnant budget conditions, effectively blocking wage increases and infrastructure improvements.
• Educators report that many professionals earn near the minimum wage while managing groups of up to 20 children, which they argue compromises the quality of care and education.
• PLEI asserts that the regional Ministry of Education has failed to honor previous verbal promises regarding staffing and budgetary revisions.

Impact and Ongoing Protests

• The strike has successfully influenced national policy; the Ministry of Education is drafting a decree to establish lower national ratios for the 0-3 age group, potentially setting caps at four infants, six toddlers, or eight children per educator depending on age.
• Teachers have reported retaliatory actions, including non-renewal of contracts for 15 workers who participated in the strike.
• The platform plans to continue daily protests in front of the regional government headquarters to maintain visibility and pressure authorities ahead of broader educational sector strikes scheduled for October 14.