14 May 2013

GENERAL EDUCATION STRIKE IN SPAIN

Thousands abandon classrooms to join second education strike in 12 months
El País 9 May 2013

Thousands of teachers and students abandoned their kindergartens, schools and universities across Spain on Thursday to join the second general education strike in a year to protest spending cuts, as well as an education reform due to be presented to the Cabinet on Friday.

The Platform for Public Schooling, which unites the FETE-UGT, CCOO and STES labor unions plus the CEAPA parents association and the Students Union, put turnout at 72 percent among staff at public institutions and 25 percent in the private sector. The Ministry of Education, however, reported a following of below 20 percent, according to data compiled by the regions.

The Students Union said 90 percent of university-goers followed the strike.

At the last general education strike in May 2012 the unions reported a 65 percent following, while the government put it at 19 percent.

“What we are seeing is that educational activity has been paralyzed,” said Francisco García of the CCOO.

Thursday’s strike is the culmination of two weeks of protests that have seen hundreds of lock-ins, vigils and all manner of other mobilizations at education centers across the country.

I sincerely believe that the quality is in public teaching"

The day concluded with demonstrations in Madrid, where thousands took to the Paseo del Prado, and numerous other cities, though there had also been large protests in Galicia, Valencia, Murcia and Barcelona earlier on. In the Catalan capital, city police put the number of people who joined a march that left Plaza Universidad at 12.30pm and finished at Plaza Sant Jaume two hours later at 10,000; labor unions reported 100,000.

Some altercations with police were reported throughout the day. In Valencia two local police offers were slightly injured in a clash with a group of students who were trying to set fire to dumpsters and tyres on Tarongers avenue, as well as block the train line.

Uniting many protesting teachers, students and parents on Thursday was the feeling that both the cuts – which have totaled 6.7 billion euros since 2010 - and Education Minister José Ignacio Wert’s proposed reforms were dismantling a certain concept of public education as something that includes and helps everyone, regardless of their social class.

“[I am here] because I don’t want everything that I chose for my child dismantled, because I sincerely believe that the quality is in public teaching, and many of us choose it because we believe in it,” explained Paz Martínez, a civil servant and mother of a 15-year-old, outside the gates of the San Isidro public high school in Madrid early Thursday.

The government says the reforms — which include the bringing forward of the age at which students start choosing between academic or vocational training paths, the reinforcing of core subjects and establishing external examinations — will decrease high-school dropout rates. But a large proportion of the education sector sees the changes as the other side of the cuts, serving to create a cheaper and elitist system that segregates poorer students.

Vocabulary:
spending cuts: recortes en el gasto público
labour unions/trade unions: sindicatos
lock- in : encierro
throughout: a lo largo de / durante
clash: disputa, altercado
dumpsters: contenedores
tyre: neumático
regardless: pese a, independientemente
civil servant: funcionario
bring forward: adelantar
core subjects: asignaturas troncales
dropout rates:tasas de abandono escolar



50 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. In my opinion I think that these demonstrations shows that people desagree with the educational reforms and all the spending cuts that are being made. Also, I think that both sides are playing with the figures of assistants, so it's impossible to know surely which one is more close to reality.

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    1. We think you are right, congratulations111hahhaha party yuhuuu Marc and Marcial

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  4. It's a shame all the spending cuts that are doing. The government should realize that the changes which they are doing harm to the people because, for instance, it's impossible that 30 students can learn well the subject or a history teacher can't say depending things because this fact are forbidden.
    I belive that we must continue with the battle and we don't surrender. All the people should follow the manifestations and strikes for get whatever we want.

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  6. Education in Spain is really bad, the government tries to solve the problem but without consulting to educational community and the solutions which are given are not cool enough to party rock in the house tonight buleria buleria sarandonga student style and Macarena nena. Marcial(aber den Federmaus)

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    1. Marcial you shouldn't use my account to write this silly things, but it's funny.
      You are a prove of how bad is the educational system in Spain ("aber mehr den Federmaus") which tries to solve the minister with this law,even so you speak four languages. Marc

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  7. I think that these demostrations are necessary to show the new reforms on education aren't the best ones. People go out the street to defend their rights and with their strikes they hope the new government to change these reforms.I really agree with their reasons and respect all their actions.

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  8. All of these demonstrations and strikes show what the educational situation in Spain is. I think that if 90% of Spaniards are against the educational reforms is because of the fact that these reforms are the worst ones. I agree with people who defend her rights, but I really disagree with people who make vandalism in these strikes or demonstrations because we are in the 21st century and not in the 18th century.

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  9. This school term has been characterized by strikes and demostrations. The reason of this acts are the reforms and the spending cuts that the governament are doing on the education in order to earn money. People show their desagree even on the street even wearing the green T-shirt at school. I'm agree with this pacefully demonstrations because we have the right to show our feelings and say our opinion but, on the other hand, I'm completly desagree with the people who set fire to the dumpsters, transforming this acts into a bandalism. Even so, I think that we continue fighting to conserve our education rights.

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  10. currently, protests and strikes are the only way that students and teachers have to defend their rights and to protest against the cuts that the government holding against the educational system, and the most amazing thing is that this government takes decision without considering the opinion of the citizens who voted.They just want ern money, and unfortunately the education have to pay the consequences of a misguided government.

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  11. The issue of education is very delicate and that is the order of the day, all students, parents and teachers are against education reforms because they are losing the quality of teaching and everything is getting worse . I support strongly to people manifested, and we have a right to a quality education for all, but I think vandalism acts make us lose the reason. All protests should be done with common sense and peacefully. It's something we must fight all because the future of many people are at stake, they can not get quality education is only for a select few.

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  12. The topic of education it’s important for me because I’m a student. It’s an issue at present which rise to much debate. It’s a debate which includes all of us. Precisely we have lived students and teachers strike in this school year because of the cuts. It is the task of all of us to continue these efforts towards making this student revolt be even more powerful in the future, precisely in order to be able to bring about better coordination and better results.

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  13. In my opinion al these trikes are useless, as the the goverment doesn't take into acount what people think. I also understand their frustation as the goverment is spending cuts, and the education is being the most affected. I think there is other ways of complaining, but we also have to think that this situation is also difficult for the goverment, as the bad economic situation makes and forces de goverment to do all the spending cuts, and all the others mesures the've done.

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  14. I think that this things prove that people aren't happy of the Spain education and creates this plataforms to reivindicated their sentiments because they are against of this.
    This kind of people wants to change the system and improve it. I think this is not enough because there are a little people who wants to change the rules and a lot of people who wants to continues with this system.

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  15. These people are disagree with the government for changing the education system. Every time, there are more and more people who go to the street to show that they don't think the same that the government for changing our education. However, the government doesn't listen to that people and they will pass the new law. In my opinio, nowadays there are more important thing such as the economy although we have to admit that our education system isn't so good because there are too much students who leave their studies.

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  16. All the people who participate in strikes only want to show the government that they aren't in favor with the cuts and measures that they have done. For that reason I think that the government have to stop doing more cuts and listen the things that the people say, because if there are many people who think that these cuts are bad, i think that is for some reason...

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  18. I can only say that this news is another evidence that our government always do what they want. Even if people go on strike to show they are against the measures they take, they don't take it into account. I'm tired of seeing how they implement new laws without sense just to change what the other political party have done. Are they playing like children to win a prize? I know the situation in Spain is very bad and also I know it's difficult to improve it, but they are who were elected to solve it and till now, I haven't seen any progress at all.

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  19. These actions manifest that most of population disagree with all changes carry out the Government. The spendings cuts and the reform education cause the protestes around the country: strikes, demonstrations, even clashes with some students. The education sector usually be the most reclaimed and if these reforms doesn't change, these protests doesn't stop.

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  21. It seems that the government pretends to come back to the old education system in which only rich people could study because the rest of the society couldn't pay their studies.
    The government doesn't realize that the most important thing that a country can have is a quality public education and moreover in crisis times, to ensure a good future for the country.
    I'am really scared because I think that when the government take action will be too late.

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  22. If the government applies this reform, it's because they think that they don't have other option. I believe that there are other ways to protest, to manifest disagree with the reforms which is implementing the Government. It's evident that teachers, students, and all the people who participates in educative sistem are against this law, because people will see how his educative sistem's quality decreases. In my view, the perfect way to protest against that issue is getting signatures, because people show their opinion without loosing hours of class.

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  23. It's true that is a bad situation for the education and to much spending cuts are made, bad lose class to demostrate, I think it's so ironic. In my opinion, to change the situation it's necessary arrive to the extreme making strikes many days non-stoping and lobby the Governement.

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  24. With this second general strike of teaching has demonstrated once again that people aren't agree with the new reforms and that a large number of people have taken to the streets to demonstrate. Moreover, it has also been shown that our government is trying to cheat and fool the population telling that very few people followed the demonstration, which we all know isn't true.

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  25. Nowadays, there are many demonstrations because thousands people as teachers, parents, students…are against with the new law that government wants to do in the education system in Spain. The new law includes reforms that will affect all the students who study in these places, and the teachers. I think that this year will be many changes, and for this reason we have to join at all the strikes to protest. At least with these strikes the government can see that thousands of people are against to these changes.

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  26. Spending cuts are being too excessives, because educational level will decrease too much. Moreover, if it continues, educational sistem would be privatised. It serves to create a cheaper system that segregates poorer students.

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  28. I'm absolutey agree with the general education strike and these demonstrations that demostrate the people power. Personally, I didn't participate in the last one because we have a lot of work this month,but I have gone to all the demonstrations to protest about the new education law (LOMCE) and the unfairs spending cuts of the government. Throughout the last months, we have done a lot of strikes regardless to lost school time. The our future depends of this moment. Now, we can't stop.

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  29. Ofcourse, I'm completly in favour to this new1! In my ipinion, this article only shows us the actuality of this country. Nowadays, in Spain there are a lot of cuts in education, and this type of strikes are a way to show the Spanish Government, specially the Minister of Education Wert, that we aren't in favour of the new educational reforms. For that reason, and from my point of view, these demonstrations are useful.

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  30. The new law pretends improve the level of the Spanish education but is this the main objective? I think is necessary show to the governments, specially to the education minister that a big portion of Spanish people aren’t happy with their new law and all the spending cuts that they have done during the last years. Maybe someone can think that strike is not the solution and there are other ways of complaining. We must not forget that education makes us human and the level of a country is measured by education.

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  31. (I had done it in class as many classmates could say but I don't understand why is not here now, so I will do it again quickly...)

    Nowadays, education is suffering most of spending cuts by the Government. It's evident that the educational community is not agree wiht them, if not they wouldn't do as many strikes as they have done it these year. Last thursday, 9th May, Spain was full of strikes, around all cities and towns, trying to stop the LOMCE, a law which tries to improve the education quality and a law which should have been passed by the Government the following day, Friday 10th. Nevertheless, the Government slowed the law down to the following Friday (17th) and today, 19th May, I can say that LOMCE was passed on Friday instead of a big number of disagreement. A disaster...

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  32. the government should cut so,because they endanger the educational level of young Spanish, cuts greatly affect the middle class, but the rich are quite happy because they are right-wing. Spain must get out of this situation as soon as possible.

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  33. This new law implanted by the Spanish Government, has provoked several strikes done by the population since they do not agree with this law. In my opinion, this law the only thing that was contributing sera a decrease in the academic level of the young persons.
    This new law implanted by the Spanish Government, has provoked several strikes done by the population since they do not agree with this law. In my opinion, this law the only thing that was contributing sera a decrease in the academic level of the young persons.

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  34. Education is an issue that should not be touched. Since the start of democracy in the late '70s, politicians have done nothing more than playing educational laws. Governments should learn from other countries such as the Nordic countries, where the politicians pact not to touch educational law. Changing the law from one year to another, it does nothing but harm to students and teachers, there is encouraging greater school failure.

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  35. Changing the education system every four years only proves that politicians are absolutely sick people. Education has turned into a fight between political parties and the ones who suffer from this are the students. Don't they realize that everything they do is affecting us? Well, probably they do, but it doesn't matter to them, they have enough money to have send their sons to private schools, so changes don't affect them.

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  36. I think that all the protests we do against the goverment is useless, because they never listen to us.I understand violence isn't a good way to face this problems, but maybe it's the only way.At this point,I think we are nowhere because the goverment just doesn't cares what we think.

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  37. In my view, all these complaints are useless, because the gorvenment will continue doing what they want, without taking into acount what people say. This new law pretends to improve the level of the Spanish education, but I think that there are many different ways of doing it. The government is taking some decissions that are making the people to get desperated. Due to this despair, citizens strike asking for a solution. Perhaps, someone thinks that strike isn't the best solucion and that there are many different ways of complaining, but I think that education is one of the most important parts of the country's culture.

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  38. These strikes are useless, personally to make any difference, people will have to be more
    radical to attract more attention to the politicians. That doesn't mean being violent, just simple things like having longer strikes, having a one day strike every so often is not going to change anything but if the strikes become a month then it would affect the hole country.

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  39. I think that all the protest which we do against the government are useless. These strikes should do something like burning a municipality or other radical things. The Spanish education is very bad and we can't permit that the government improves his level.

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  40. I think that all the protest which we do against the government are useless. These strikes should do something like burning a municipality or other radical things. The Spanish education is very bad and we can't permit that the government improves his level.

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  41. I agree with the comments above in that a one day strike wont do much. If you want change, prove it, really fight for it. Go on strike for at least a week and show the government that you don't agree with the changes they're making. Go on a strike until they acknowledge you and do something about it.

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  42. Our government wants to cut-off a lot of advantages the students have got since the beginning of the democracy, many students who couldn’t study at the university because their parents couldn’t effort it until now they had the possibility to learn a carrier because the government gave them some grants in order to help the good students. Now, the minister of Education wants to reduce the quantity of teachers and to put more students in a class, about 40. He wants also to reduce the grants and improve the private school.

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  43. Our government wants to cut-off a lot of advantages the students have got since the beginning of the democracy, many students who couldn’t study at the university because their parents couldn’t effort it until now they had the possibility to learn a carrier because the government gave them some grants in order to help the good students. Now, the minister of Education wants to reduce the quantity of teachers and to put more students in a class, about 40. He wants also to reduce the grants and improve the private school.

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  44. I think that we are in our right to express our disagreement. Furthermore, this desicions affect the future of students' life, our education depends on the political and they have to take into account the will of the people.

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  45. Im completely agree with the people who do strikes and who are quite angry with the government, but in my opinion this kind of stuff is pretty useless since the government don't care about our opinion, they just wanna win the elections and they will hear us just the last year when we will have to vote for them.
    So, in conclusion, the things in Spain in education and all in general are pretty bad, but we can't do quite much about it.

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  46. Education is one of the largest topic of today because the future is based on it. It is due to this reason that students, parents and teachers have joined forces against this law. Is the seventh educational reform in 35 years of democracy, this means an educational reform every 5 years! However, the government of Mariano Rajoy argue that education will improve with these small "adjustments".In conclusion, the society have spoken. This reform isn't legitimate, is an imposition that will lead to greater school failure.

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  47. The goverment is looking for solutions to the high level of school failure. Many people in Spain finish their studies without the ESO and these people have not many probabilities to find a job. I don't think that the law is going to solve this problem because the solution is very complex. They don't only have to change the laws, the mentality of the people also have to change.

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  48. Education is not only an individual right, but a social need. More well educated and instructed are young people, more developed can be in the future the country, and more democratic. Spain needs more economical inversion for education, but the actual government thinks and do the opposite. For this reason, students, teachers and parents have made some strikes and many demonstrations against the new law: they are really worried. We have not to change again the education's law, we have to change all the politicians and our politicy: a democracy is a model of life in which people has the power and choice some workers to administrate the state, but according with the popular decissions; now it is an oligarchy where citizens are exploited by economical interests and retrograde minds. Spain needs education, respect and honestity, not thieves, bishops and uneducated politicians.

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