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Families and centres under strain over the stoppage in nursery schools
Early-years education in Madrid is entering a critical moment. Since 7 April, schools for children aged 0 to 3 have been on an indefinite strike that directly affects the routine of thousands of families and the running of the centres.
The strike, promoted by Plataforma Laboral de Escuelas Infantiles and trade unions such as CGT, has highlighted conditions that the professionals consider unsustainable. High ratios, stagnant salaries and bureaucratic workload shape everyday life in the classrooms.
One of the most sensitive issues is the number of children per educator. At present, one professional may care for up to 20 children in some groups, figures that the workers consider incompatible with adequate care. Their demand is to reduce these ratios and bring them closer to international standards.
Pay is the other axis of the conflict. Educators complain that the improvements set out in the collective agreement have not been put into practice in many centres, especially those under indirect management. The difference between what was agreed and what is received continues to generate tension.
Comunidad de Madrid has set minimum services that guarantee the centres remain open, but also limit the strike’s visible impact. For the organisers, this adds pressure to workers who remain on duty.
Meanwhile, families are reorganising their daily lives as best they can. The lack of immediate alternatives complicates the reconciliation of work and family life, at a key stage both for children’s development and for parents’ employment stability.
Education from 0 to 3 years old has gained importance in recent years as an essential educational stage. The current conflict reopens an underlying debate: how to balance quality, working conditions and access in a system that sustains much of everyday life in Madrid.