Massive education strike in Spain

On Tuesday, November 7, more than 3 million school and university students went out on strike in Spain. The strike also had a 90% following amongst university teachers and non-teaching staff at universities. More than 200,000 students, teachers and university workers participated in demonstrations all over the country with 50.000 in Madrid, 20.000 in Seville, 15.000 in Santiago, 10.000 in Barcelona, 15.000 in Valladolid, 5.000 in Oviedo, 5.000 in the Canary Islands, … with a total of more than 70 demonstrations all over the country.

The strike had been called by education workers unions and amongst the students by the Students Union (Sindicato de Estudiantes - SE), which is led by Marxists, against the new education laws which the right wing Popular Party wants to introduce. These laws which affect university education, secondary education and technical schools would mean in effect the backdoor privatisation of the university, increases in university fees, attacks against democratic rights of the students, etc.

The November 7th strike came after the successful students strike called by the Students Union on October 25th. On that date 2 million school and university students went out on strike and more than 120,000 participated in demonstrations all over the country. The biggest demonstrations took place in Madrid with 15.000, 15.000 in Barcelona, 8.000 in Seville, more than 6.000 in Valencia, 2.000 in Valladolid, 2.500 in Tarragona, 1.300 in Granada, with a total of more than 70 demonstrations all over the country. The Students Union also called on that day for students to show their opposition to the war in Afghanistan and leaflets, posters and banners on the demonstrations also reflected this. The slogan of the students union is "not a soldier, not a bullet, not a peseta for this war - If you want peace, fight for socialism".

The Students Union has insisted from the beginning of this battle that this is a joint struggle of teachers, school students, university students and education workers. This is why it also called for a general strike of school university students on November 7th despite the fact that this day of strike had been called initially by the teachers and education workers unions (CCOO, UGT, STEs and CGT).

The next step on this campaign will be the students strike called on November 14th by the Students Union and other university students organisations. The students union is also calling on the trade unions and parents' associations to also join the strike and call for a general strike of all those involved in the education sector (school and university students, teachers, parents, education workers) before the Christmas break. The protests are already taking on a momentum of their own with university teachers in Santiago calling a 7 day strike and teachers in Seville calling for an all out strike. The Students Union web site carries an impressive picture gallery of the strike and demonstrations on October 25 and November 7.