"We want people to know what's happening in the classroom": these are the teachers' demands
Unions have been blocking roads since early morning
BarcelonaThe teachers' strike called for this Wednesday is already underway. This Tuesday afternoon, the first closures began in schools and institutes across the country, along with protest actions in about ten public schools in Catalonia. One example was the Consol Ferré school in Amposta, where around twenty teachers gathered for a meeting and to prepare banners for the demonstrations. "This time, teachers and administrators are all united," argued Agustí Zaera, a teacher at the Soriano Montagut school in Amposta. He asserted that after 18 years in the classroom, he had "never seen so much activity" and believes the strike could be historic. "Things are very crowded, and we want society to be aware of what's happening in the classrooms. The quality of education is declining every day, and we, who are there day after day, are the ones who truly experience it," he criticized.
In the case of this school, they don't plan to spend the night. However, in Tortosa, teachers from several schools in the area will be spending the night at the El Temple school. "We've tried to ensure that all the schools are working together on any actions we take," Zaera explains.
What are the teachers asking for?
"We have four very clear demands, but ultimately the most important is that public schools be provided with the human resources they need," Zarea points out. In this regard, the unions that have jointly called for the mobilization—Ustec, Aspepc, CCOO, CGT, and UGT—insist that "the issue of salary is a red line." In fact, the Ministry of Education has already announced that He has a proposal ready to improve the economic conditions of teachers.But they haven't yet specified the details.
They also explain that they are demanding a reduction in class sizes—this year there are still many secondary school classrooms with around thirty students per group—and an "injection" of resources for inclusive education, where there is still a shortage of staff to support students with special needs. Furthermore, they are also asking for a reduction in bureaucracy and a "consensual" educational curriculum.
How will they mobilize?
Beyond the sit-ins that began Tuesday afternoon, unions anticipate pickets at many schools and institutes on Wednesday, and that, in general, despite maintaining minimum services, classes will not be held in most educational centers. They also warned that they will organize road blockades and slow marches on several roads and highways in Catalonia from early morning, although they did not specify which locations would be affected. The major mobilizations, however, will take place at midday, with demonstrations planned in the country's main cities. In Barcelona, a demonstration has been called for 12:30 pm, marching from Jardinets de Gràcia to the Department of Education on Via Augusta. Prior to this, several groups of teachers will form, departing from schools located throughout the city and converging on the demonstration point. In Girona, the demonstration will take place at 12:00 pm at the Pont del Dimoni (Devil's Bridge). In Lleida it will be at 12:30 pm in Plaça Ricard Vinyes and in Tarragona, at 11:30 am in Plaça Imperial Tarraco.
What does the government say?
Although the unions maintain that the Education Department is not engaging in genuine negotiations with the unions, the acting Minister of the Presidency, Albert Dalmau, extended an olive branch to teachers during their strike. In Wednesday's question time, he expressed his willingness to collaborate with the unions organizing the strike and the parliamentary groups to reach "broad" agreements. Dalmau acknowledged the "long-standing demands" and pledged to "restore some of the purchasing power" of teachers because "they deserve it." He wants to address all of their demands, including the increasing "complexity in the classroom," he stated. However, Dalmau attributed the loss of purchasing power to the "cuts" implemented by Artur Mas's government. Sources within the department insist that the government "remains at the negotiating table and is committed to reaching agreements to improve the working conditions of teachers and educational support staff." Thus, the government asserts that it has prepared a proposal to improve working conditions "which it hopes to begin discussing at the sectoral bargaining table." Furthermore, they maintain that the department "already has a proposal ready" to improve the specific supplement—the remuneration given for particular job conditions such as technical difficulty, level of dedication, responsibility, incompatibility, or hazardousness. However, for the moment, the Department of Education has not specified exactly what this will entail and admits that it will be contingent on the executive's budget situation, as the current budget remains extended.
Moreover, the Catalan government also states that its proposal "aims to address the historical underfunding of the educational support staff (PAE)" and that the document also includes a reduction in student-teacher ratios and progress in streamlining bureaucracy, as well as increased resources for inclusive education and recognition.
What minimum services are in place?
The Catalan government has established minimum service requirements of one teacher for every three classrooms in preschool, primary, and secondary schools, and 33% of the staff in daycare centers. For special education centers, at least 50% of the staff must be working. Furthermore, all centers must have at least one member of the management team present.