The messages that have come out of the recent demonstrations in Valencia are not just about the effect of the cutbacks on schools and the poor spending decisions of the Valencian government. Even police brutality is only a small part of the story. There is also the underlying accusation that private schools, unlike the state sector, are having their budgets protected. This is not an austerity measure. This is a political spending decision that will create a trend of irreversible privitisation of schools. And it’s not just in Spain. The coalition government in the UK is responsible for something very similar. As school budgets are squeezed and the UK braces for more cut backs, the … [Read more...] about Privatisation through the back door
school protests
Schools protest as Valencia fails to pay up
The absence of funding from Valencia has led to some schools being left without electricity and others having no money for basic resources or unable to replace teachers who are absent. Las Culturas is struggling on a week-by-week basis. So how have they been managing? A representative from the school explained: "The only way we are able to keep the school running is through using the money that people contribute towards lunch. Without this we would have nothing. We would not be able to buy paper for the photocopier or even toilet paper.” The cut in resources has had immediate effects, while other cut backs will have longer-term implications. Teacher pay and conditions are being … [Read more...] about Schools protest as Valencia fails to pay up