Valencia Teachers Strike against Plans to Enforce English

Thousand of demonstrators filling Valencia city centre in November

Thousands of teachers in the Valencia region of Spain are due to go on strike tomorrow against the state government’s attempt to force them to teach citizenship in English

The government’s decision to enforce the teaching of citizenship through the medium of English have made it virtually impossible for teachers to teach the syllabus and lead to large demonstrations of teachers and parents throughout the region. There were huge demonstrations in the region’s capital stretching back two kilometres – the largest since those against the Iraq war.

Latest reports suggest that the government has backed down on its plans which may put tomorrow’s strike on hold although a spokesperson for the Platform for the Defence of Public Education insisted that it would not be put off permanently at this stage.