Around 120 principals of public educational centers in the Valencian Community have submitted their resignations this Thursday as a gesture of support for the indefinite teachers' strike, which has now been ongoing for nine days and has intensified the conflict with the Generalitat.
In total, according to data provided by the organizers themselves, 260 members of management teams have already signed their resignations, in a mobilization that seeks to pressure the regional administration to resume negotiations with the unions after the breakdown of dialogue last Wednesday.
Collective Resignation as a Pressure Tactic
The initiative, promoted by principals of schools, institutes, vocational training centers, and early childhood education centers, affects a significant portion of the Valencian educational system, which has around 1,120 management heads.
The signatories assert that their decision is an act of "dignity and coherence" in the face of what they consider an unsustainable situation in educational centers, marked by a lack of resources and the deterioration of working conditions.
Demands of the Teachers' Strike
The strike, called by educational unions, maintains a broad package of demands, including a reduction in student-to-teacher ratios per classroom, reinforcement of staff to support diversity in classrooms, improvement of educational infrastructure, especially air conditioning, revision of the regional education law that reduces the importance of Valencian, and an improvement in teachers' salary conditions.
Union organizations have also warned that the conflict can only be resolved if real negotiations with the administration are reopened.
Political Tension and Call for Dialogue
The managers had planned to register their resignations at Les Corts, although they ultimately did so at the Ministry of Education. During the protest day, they coincided with the President of the Generalitat, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, who assured that there is a willingness to reach an agreement and that the regional government is willing to continue negotiating even over the weekend.
The head of the Consell defended that "there is no ultimatum for dialogue" and that the Executive's economic proposals are already quantified, also assuring that any agreement reached will be fulfilled.
The directors maintain that the situation in the centers is critical and denounce accumulated deficiencies in staff, infrastructure, and student support. Some representatives have pointed out that the protest does not respond to "political issues," but to the need to guarantee the basic functioning of the educational system.
According to the organizers, the mobilization could be expanded in the coming days and reach up to 300 resignations, with the support of thousands of teachers and families who support the demands.