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Spanish school and university protest at education cuts

22 May 2012 12:55 (UTC +04:00)

Baku - APA-Economics. Schools and universities in Spain have closed in protest at government cuts - the first ever strike across all levels of public education in the country, APA reports citing BBC.

Pupils, parents and teachers are expected to join the protests.

The cuts will see class sizes increase, teachers will have to work more hours for the same pay and university tuition fees will increase by up to 25%.

The government says the cuts, of more than 20%, are necessary so it can meet its spending targets for this year.

It believes this is crucial for the Spanish economy to start growing again.

The strike is taking place in all regions of Spain except for the Basque Country and the Balearic Islands. Since winning power in December’s elections, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has vowed to undertake harsh austerity measures, promising major reforms every week. The protests come just over a week after police cleared anti-austerity demonstrations from the Puerta del Sol square in central Madrid.