The education secretary of the Comunitat Valenciana, Daniel McEvoy, ahead of demonstrations scheduled for Saturday evening in Valencia, Alicante and Castellón reaffirmed his “absolute respect” for the right to protest and at the same time called for “more negotiation and less confrontation”. The rallies are being held under the slogan “Per la dignitat de l’escola pública. La lluita continua” and are directed against what organisers see as inadequate progress on staffing, inclusion, infrastructure and language policy.
Those calling for the protest include the Plataforma per l’Ensenyament Públic as well as trade unions and local groups. The mobilisation follows strikes in late spring. It comes against the backdrop of a long-running dispute between education representatives and the education department of the Generalitat Valenciana. Among other things, the organisers are calling for more posts to reduce class sizes, faster replacement staffing, additional funding for inclusive support and stronger provision for teaching in Valencian.
The Conselleria d’Educació by contrast, points to steps already taken and to constraints. According to the department, pay increases have been agreed and will take effect at the start of the school year. The administration also stresses that structural changes take time and require additional budget funding. McEvoy emphasised that the government’s aim was to continue dialogue with education stakeholders; confrontation benefits neither schools nor pupils.
The demonstrations are scheduled for Saturday evening in the three provincial capitals of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón; the organisers published local routes and times in advance. Police have announced corresponding traffic disruption. No independent estimates of turnout are available in advance.
On the substance, the positions are sometimes clearly opposed: while education unions are demanding binding commitments with specific deadlines on staffing ratios, inclusive provision and language teaching, the regional government is urging realistic timetables and pointing to the ongoing budget process. Both sides consider talks necessary; it remains to be seen whether the announced protests will bring fresh pressure to bear on negotiations.
The dates and locations of the rallies, as well as McEvoy’s remarks, documented in regional media, are confirmed facts. Open questions concern the scope of the promised measures and the timetable for further reforms. Next steps depend on the talks between the Conselleria d’Educació and education representatives that have been announced.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).