The first day of the educational strike started this Wednesday in the Madrid’s community in all public schools and institutes in the region. Together with the teachers, the students have joined together to request the Ministry of Education, Science and Universities to reduce the teaching load of teachers, salary equalization, resources to address diversity, free education from kindergarten to university and reduce the number of students per classroom. Along with these strikes, to This afternoon a march is scheduled from Plaza de Neptuno to Puerta del Sol.
The provisional data provided by the Community of Madrid encrypts the follow-up of the strike at 24.5%, while the unions raise it to more than 65%. “Teachers have begun to make themselves heard and are showing their indignation at the deterioration of their working conditions and, consequently, of public education,” the majority unions reported in a joint statement. For these days, the regional government approved minimum services where, in general, it established the need for the director and head of studies to be present, one teacher for every 50 students in Primary, one teacher for every 90 in Secondary. and one teacher for every 25 students in the Special Regime.
In the centers located in Madrid capital and in the institutes, there would be greater monitoring than in Primary and Early Childhood, according to the unions. This is the first day of demands that will continue on May 21, although These could extend over time as already warned by the Workers’ Commissions (CC OO), the independent Union, at the service of public education teachers (ANPE), CSIF and the General Union of Workers (UGT).
Under the proclamation of “teachers fighting are also teaching” the protesters will gather at 6:00 p.m. in the Plaza de Neptuno to continue along Paseo de Recoletos and Alcalá Street until they reach Puerta del Sol, in front of the Government headquarters. regional. From the educational sector they demand from the Ministry reverse the increase in teaching hours that occurred in 2012 as a result of the financial crisis, going from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Secondary and decreasing the current 25 hours to 11 p.m. in Primary and Early Childhood.
Furthermore, they consider it necessary to address other issues such as effective reduction in the number of students per classroom, equate salaries with other autonomous communities, increase resources to serve students with diversity, with more teachers and small groups, and apply a shock plan against bureaucratic overload. The Students’ Union has joined the claims, asking to guarantee free education from preschool to university, to create 30,000 free public vocational training places, with paid internships, or to stop financing private and subsidized centers.
On the part of the regional government they indicated that These measures could not be applied within the deadlines set by the unions for economic reasons. and proposed a gradual reduction, rteaching one hour in Secondary during the 2026-2027 academic year. “It must be made compatible with the drop in ratios. “We continue with that hand outstretched and we are all working to improve teaching in the region,” said the spokesperson for the regional Executive, Miguel Ángel García, this Wednesday after the Government Council.
