Professionals in the first cycle of early childhood education (0-3 years) will gather on Friday, September 18, in Plaza de la Marina in Málaga to demand decent working conditions, public funding for the cycle, and equal treatment with other educational stages.
Educators and professionals in the first cycle of early childhood education for ages 0 to 3 have called for a gathering on Friday, September 18 in Plaza de la Marina in Málaga, as reported by Diario Sur. The protest coincides with planned mobilisations at the regional and national levels and will serve as a precursor to a possible general strike, following the announcements made in Madrid and Catalonia.
The group denounces that the current system prioritises labour productivity over the biological and emotional needs of children, with ratios reaching one professional for every 20 children under two years old. This overload is compounded by low salaries and what they describe as institutional undervaluation, factors that, they claim, hinder personalised attention and moments of calm to converse and listen to the little ones.
“Caring under these conditions forces constant juggling and turns the day into a permanent crisis management, instead of a pedagogical process and support,” explains a Málaga educator who prefers to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.
The sector is 99% female-dominated, with male presence relegated to management positions, according to Nieves Terriza, spokesperson for the Andalusian Platform for Nursery Schools. The spokesperson recalls that during this stage, brain and social development entirely depends on the emotional bond.
The professionals draw on references such as Emmi Pikler, who stated that emotional security is the ground on which the child moves freely, to argue that defending their labour rights is the only way to protect the emotional health and dignity of early childhood.
The organisers are calling on families, social organisations, and citizens to join the gathering on September 18 in Plaza de la Marina. The event takes place in a context where 80% of nursery schools in Andalusia are private, a reality that the group considers crucial for the precariousness of the sector.
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