Thousands of people march through the center of Madrid shouting 'Let's Save Public Education'

A human tide, colored yellow and green, flooded the streets of central Madrid this Sunday to raise their voices in defense of public education. Teachers, students, and families united under the slogan “Let's Save Public Education” in a demonstration called by the teacher assembly network Menos Lectivas and the unions CGT and CNT, with the support of various educational organizations.

Protest Against Cuts and Privatization

The march, which started from Atocha, traversed the Paseo del Prado and Calle Alcalá, echoing with slogans like “Education is not for sale, education is defended” and “Enough is enough.” The organizers denounce the cuts, privatization, and suffocation that, according to them, Madrid's education system has suffered for years. They warn of an “institutional abandonment” that is “dismantling the public system,” manifested in low salaries, long working hours, high student-teacher ratios, and the degradation of universities.

Urgent Demands from the Educational Community

The demands are multiple and cover all educational levels. An early childhood education professional points out the impossibility of adequately attending to children with disabilities due to the lack of resources and the need to lower ratios. Bea, a guidance counselor at a high school, attended with her daughter to demand more resources, better working conditions, and more counselors per school.

The protest also focused on special education, with banners demanding “Dignified special education now: more resources and fewer barriers.” Families of students with ASD denounce a “collapsed” system that promotes segregation and call for real inclusive education.

Criticism of Management and Funding

Demonstrators question the trend to “cut public services to make way for private ones,” pointing to increased funding for private and state-subsidized education while groups and subjects are cut in public schools. Higher education is not immune to this concern; students like Alejandro, an electronic engineering student, denounce the “clear descent into the abyss” of public universities and a “difficult future for science.”

The organizers criticize the lack of university funding from the Community of Madrid and the attempt to pass laws they consider repressive, such as the LESUC. Although agreements have been reached to increase resources, the organizers consider them insufficient to reverse the precariousness.

A Growing Social Movement

This demonstration joins other recent mobilizations, such as the indefinite strike by teachers in early childhood education centers. The protest concluded at Puerta del Sol, where it was reaffirmed that “education is not a business, it is a right.” The organizations warned of the need to redouble efforts and raised the possibility of a general educational strike.

The situation of public education, as well as other social debates such as access to housing and the difficulties in accessing a mortgage or affording rent, reflect broader social tensions regarding investment in public services and citizen well-being.

Sources:

• elDiario.es (https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/miles-personas-recorren-centro-madrid-grito-salvemos-educacion-publica_1_13154879.html)
• /sociedad/el-racisme-de-la-prioritat-nacional-i-l-acces-a-l-habitatge