Una marea verde desbordó el País Valencià en defensa de la educación pública

By Santi Gonzalez

Decenas de miles de personas se manifestaron ayer en toda la geografía del País Valencià para defender la educación pública y reclamar por la precariedad laboral a la que está sometida la docencia y mejoras que necesita un sistema educativo que cada vez está más abandonado por parte de la Conselleria. The mobilization brought together teachers, estudiantes y vecinos de la comunidad en una jornada histórica en la lucha por la educación pública.

The teaching staff, convened by four of the five unions present at the Sectoral Table -STEPV, CCOO, UGT and CSIF-, In addition, there were other organizers such as the union worker coordinator (COS), groups from various sectors and student unions. This demonstration takes place within the framework of a teaching strike that, according to the Department of Education, compliance with the strike was 40% and the organizers talk about a 80%. These are historic figures for the sector that is willing for the course to end in May as a result of the call for an indefinite strike if the Department of Education does not open itself to negotiating..

Among the demands is a salary update that compensates for the loss of purchasing power in recent years - and that stops Valencian teachers from being the lowest paid in Spain -. A series of improvements in their working conditions are also required., how to increase the workforce, the drop in maximum ratios per classroom, especially in units that serve special needs, less bureaucracy, coverage of all vacancies, including non-teaching staff, more investment in infrastructure and shielding teaching in Valencian.

The Ministry's response at the moment has focused on delaying the matter and trying to “politicize” the mobilization., since the Minister of Education herself, Carmen Ortí wrote in a statement that she considered it “striking” that mobilizations of this intensity are called when in 8 years of the Botanist were not made. Trying to divert attention from a situation that is already reaching very worrying levels. That is why this attitude of the Department only adds fuel to the fire in the face of an educational community that will not continue to tolerate abandonment..

The teachers of Catalonia and Valencia are giving a great example of struggle, massive and popular support. All our solidarity with the demands for public education.

You may also interest you:“Catalonia: great fight for public education and decent working conditions”.