65,000 teachers, students strike in Spain

Around 65,000 teachers, school students and university students have joined a strike and large-scale protests in Madrid, the capital of Spain, demanding improvements in the education system.

The strike began on Wednesday, with demonstrators calling for higher teacher salaries, shorter working hours, fewer students in classrooms and increased investment in school infrastructure.

Students disrupted academic activities at several educational institutions, including Complutense University of Madrid and Rey Juan Carlos University, by setting up blockades. Clashes broke out in the Ciudad Universitaria university area as riot police attempted to remove the barricades.

Local authorities said at least five people had been arrested and seven injured in the incidents. Several police officers were among the injured.

Left-wing politicians in Spain criticised the police response, accusing officers of using excessive force against protesting students.

Trade unions representing teachers and other education workers said the public education system in the Madrid region had long suffered from budget shortages and staff shortages. Their demands include limiting class sizes in primary and secondary schools and childcare centres.

Teachers and education workers are also demanding a €600 increase in monthly net salaries. They argue that higher pay is necessary to keep pace with inflation and bring their salaries closer to those of teachers in other regions of Spain.

-MT