Rob HorganTEACHERS in Malaga are battling through illness as they cannot afford to take a day off.
As a result Spanish children are ‘put at risk of infection’ and receive a ‘diminished education’.
Spain’s teachers lose 50% of their salary during the first three days of absence, even if they have a doctor’s note.
Between days 4-20 of absence their wages are cut by 25%. Only after 21 consecutive days of illness does a teacher receive full sick pay.
Ramoni Ruiz, president of the Teaching in Malaga union, said: “What is happening is an outrage. Teachers work with children and adolescents and are exposed to disease on a daily basis.
“This rule creates distrust in the sector and gives our education system a bad image.”
She added that teachers ‘feel their dignity has been trampled on’ and as a union they would be ‘fighting’ to change the law.
Ruiz also criticised the time it takes to get substitute teachers into Malaga’s schools – currently an average of 10 days. Ruiz wants to see this cut to 48 hours.
When a country has over 55% youth unemployment the last thing you want to do is cut education and make teaching the worst profession in which to work. And yet here we are.
I see that the teachers union wants to fight the issue. Well, if they want to demonstrate about it, that’ll cost 600 euros for starters and it will have to be authorised in advance (and may not be authorised at all). This is what Spain calls democracy.
And this is 2014 decisions of a supposedly “democratic” country?
Teachers, parents, health carers are the most vital people in the society. When they are not rewarded, encouraged, and respected for what they are then the society itself degenerates.