Thousands of Valencian teachers march in three capitals demanding resumed talks

Demonstrations across three provincial capitals

Thousands of teachers, students, and families demonstrated on 12 September 2026 in the three provincial capitals of the Valencian Community: Valencia, Alicante, and Castellon de la Plana. Organized by the Plataforma per l'Ensenyament Public, which includes unions such as STEPV, CCOO, UGT, and CGT alongside parent associations, the rallies marked the start of the school year three days after classes resumed. In Valencia, protesters gathered at 18:10 at Plaza de San Agustin and marched along Calle Colon, Calle La Paz, and Calle San Vicente toward Plaza del Ayuntamiento, wearing green shirts and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Carmen Orti. The mobilisation followed a morning session where 15,697 candidates sat examinations across 72 tribunals for 1,959 public teaching positions in primary and infant education.

Union demands and disputed agreements

The platform called for the resumption of collective bargaining after rejecting previous regional proposals. In earlier consultations, 87% of voting teachers rejected the regional education department's comprehensive draft, endorsing only the clause regarding bureaucratic simplification out of eight negotiated topics. Union representatives demand reductions in student-to-teacher classroom ratios, expanded staffing, the reversal of changes to the education inspection service, and the repeal of the regional Educational Freedom Law. Marc Candela, the union action coordinator for STEPV, stated that unions would poll teachers regarding a resumption of strike actions if negotiations fail to produce acceptable terms.

We want to resume negotiations and achieve our objectives, which are to improve staffing, pay, lower ratios, and so on. And from there also, obviously, that it is endorsed by teachers. That is what we are looking for and what we have looked for from the beginning.

Government response and budget allocations

The regional administration defended its record by pointing to wage agreements already signed with two unions, ANPE and CSIF. Under the ratified pact, non-university public school teachers receive an initial salary increase of 75 euros per month starting in September 2026, followed by another 75 euros per month in January 2027 and a final 50 euros per month in January 2028, completing a 200-euro monthly pay rise. The regional government also incorporated 300 new teacher hires at the start of the academic term. Regional Secretary of Education Daniel McEvoy addressed the demonstrations by urging dialogue over confrontation and citing dedicated financial commitments.

The department has put very important agreements on the table, which are pioneering throughout Spain, with a real budget of 3.338 billion euros on the table. Therefore, these proposals are not mere promises; they are tangible and budgeted facts.

Political friction over education policy

Regional political leaders traded accusations during the demonstrations. Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities and PSPV leader Diana Morant joined the protest in Valencia alongside Compromis spokesperson Joan Baldovi to support the platform's demands. Valencian President Juanfran Perez Llorca criticized their attendance, stating that both opposition leaders refused similar demands during their eight years governing the region under the Botanic coalition. Beyond wages, unions voiced opposition to a summer amendment passed through the budget accompaniment law by the regional coalition of the People's Party and Vox, which modified the powers of the education inspectorate to monitor classroom instruction.