Early childhood educators across Spain demand "dignified conditions" in Madrid

The 'yellow tide' calls for the full integration of the 0-3 years stage into the education system to end precariousness.

Generic image of a large protest with yellow banners in Madrid.
IA

Generic image of a large protest with yellow banners in Madrid.

Educators from the first cycle of Early Childhood Education (0-3 years) across Spain demonstrated this Saturday in Madrid to demand "dignified conditions" from the Ministry of Education and measures against precariousness.

The demonstration, known as the 'yellow tide', gathered around 7,000 people according to the Government Delegation in Madrid. The event began around 12:00 PM at Atocha station and covered approximately two kilometers to Puerta del Sol.
Key demands from the sector include reducing the student-teacher ratio per classroom, a "dignified" salary increase, and the implementation of the "educational pair" model to ensure the proper functioning of this "essential" stage.
The general secretary of the CGT's Education Federation, Fernando Gómez Besterra, advocated for the integration of 0-3 years education into the system, equating it to other non-university educational stages.
The mobilization was called by Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) following the national strike on May 7th. Both CCOO and CGT have continued to pressure administrations and employers to achieve a "radical improvement in working conditions".
CCOO has welcomed the Ministry of Education's commitment to convene a working group in June to "regulate maximum ratios across the sector" via a Royal Decree. CGT also positively views the Ministry's willingness to lower ratios, though it identifies integration into the system as the main hurdle.
The political secretary of Podemos, Irene Montero, joined the march, demanding immediate responses to the workers' demands. "This is one of the most important professions in society," she stated, urging that improvements should not be delayed.