The city of Elche was the scene of an education strike day with widespread participation from teachers in Primary and Secondary schools. The mobilization was evident not only due to the low activity in schools but also because of the large demonstration that started at 12:00 PM from Las Chimeneas to Plaça de Baix.
Although the Local Police officially estimated the number of participants at 3,000 people, the general feeling among attendees was that the figure was higher. According to several unions, the strike had a turnout in schools of between 50% and 70%, depending on each educational institution.
“"It is false that they say they wanted to negotiate from the first moment, as the regional secretary has said, they came without proposals. The ministry does not respect us, and what we ask for is for the entire educational community, not just for teachers, but also for PAS and students. Today there is massive teacher participation because we are overwhelmed."
The demonstration, which significantly surpassed that of last May 1st, consisted of a long and dense column of teachers, families, and students. Protesters chanted slogans such as "More investment for education," "no to cuts in education," and "the teacher fighting is also teaching."
The Assemblea de Docents d'Elx highlighted the high participation in institutes such as Tirant Lo Blanc and IES La Asunción, as well as the 70% turnout in centers like Joanot Martorell, Severo Ochoa, or Montserrat Roig. Throughout the week, the assembly has organized further actions, including sit-ins and concentrations at government delegations, with the intention of culminating in a large march in Valencia on Friday.
“"We have reached this point after several strikes and mobilizations because there is no offer that dignifies our conditions. There are teachers who have been enduring an impressive workload for many years, with frozen salaries; we have lost 20% in recent years. We demand dignified infrastructure and that we can teach properly. Today we have classes with more than 30 students."
Unions have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of negotiation and the proposals from the ministry. They have emphasized the need to improve working conditions, reduce student-teacher ratios, cover absences, and increase investment in infrastructure and resources for education, including education in Valencian.
