Millions in the streets: Spain protests cuts to education (Berjuta-juta di jalan-jalan: Sepanyol membantah pemotongan pendidikan)

Reuters/Andrea Comas

REVIEW: A striking teacher holds up a blackboard in front of a policeman during a protest in front of the education ministry in Madrid (Seorang guru yang menarik memegang papan hitam di hadapan seorang anggota polis semasa protes di depan Kementerian Pelajaran di Madrid (Published: 22 May, 2012)

Majoriti institusi pendidikan Sepanyol telah ditutup sebagai guru dan pelajar mengambil jalan-jalan untuk mempertahankan hak-hak mereka. Kerajaan telah memotong berbilion-bilion euro dari perbelanjaan sektor pendidikan. Mogok itu berlaku pada semua peringkat, dari sekolah rendah ke universiti dalam semua kecuali 3 kawasan 17 Sepanyol. Sebanyak 1 juta guru dan 7 juta pelajar dijangka akan mengambil bahagian dalam demonstrasi semalam.

Jika pakej penjimatan menyala melalui, ia akan mengurangkan subsidi kerajaan ke atas pendidikan oleh lebih daripada 20 % peratus. Langkah itu, kesatuan berkata, akan mengakibatkan semakin teruk keadaan pendidikan, pemberhentian guru besar-besaran dan biaya pendidikan yang lebih tinggi.

"Mereka mencuri daripada kita dalam setiap cara yang mungkin, dan yang tidak boleh dibenarkan berlaku. Saya tidak tahu jika kita akan mendapat sesuatu daripada (mogok), tetapi sekurang-kurangnya sesuatu itu," kata demonstrasi pelajar. Krisis yang berlaku di zon Euro telah tolak kerajaan Sepanyol untuk memperkenalkan pusingan baru langkah-langkah penjimatan di samping € 30 billion pemotongan pada tahun 2012 sahaja.

Dasar keras kerajaan telah menaikkan kadar pengangguran hingga 25 % peratus, kadar tersebut adalah 2 kali ganda lebih tinggi di kalangan Sepanyol di bawah usia 25 tahun, statistik yang telah menyebabkan kemarahan di kalangan masyarakat Sepanyol. Negara ini telah melihat banyak protes besar-besaran dan mogok sejak awal tahun ini. Bagi pusingan terbaru demonstrasi pada pertengahan Mei berkumpul kira-kira 100,000 orang di 80 buah bandar raya di seluruh Sepanyol.

Reuters/Andrea Comas

A policeman identifies a striking teacher during a protest in Madrid (Seorang anggota polis mengenal pasti seorang guru yang menarik semasa protes di Madrid) (Reuters/Andrea Comas)

Students and teachers demonstrate in Barcelona (Pelajar dan guru demonstrate di Barcelona) (AFP Photo/Lluis Gene)

Strike in Barcelona (AFP Photo/Lluis Gene)

Strike in Barcelona (AFP Photo/Lluis Gene)

The majority of Spain's educational institutions have closed as teachers and students take to the streets to defend their rights. The government has cut billions of euros from educational sector expenses. The strike is taking place on all levels, from elementary schools to universities in all but three of Spain's 17 regions. As many as a million teachers and seven million students are expected to take part in Tuesday's demonstrations.

If the austerity package goes through, it will reduce government subsidies on education by more than 20 per cent. The measure, unions say, will result in worsening educational conditions, mass teacher layoffs and higher tuition costs.

"They are stealing from us in every possible way, and that can't be allowed to happen. I don't know if we will get something out of [the strike], but at least it's something," a student demonstrator said. The crisis unfolding in the Eurozone has pushed the Spanish government to introduce a new round of austerity measures in addition to €30 billion cuts in 2012 alone.

The government’s harsh policies have raised unemployment rates to 25 per cent; the rate is two times higher among Spaniards under age 25, a statistic that has caused outrage in Spanish society. The country has seen numerous mass protests and strikes since the beginning of this year. The latest round of demonstrations in mid-May gathered about 100,000 people in 80 cities across Spain.