Teachers are protesting against low wages, funding cuts, and a lack of new staff
A two-day strike by teaching staff in Groningen begins today, with playgrounds empty and classrooms sitting silently. Teachers are protesting both against low wage growth, and a lack of general school funding.
The majority of the Groningen schools will close their doors on Thursday and Friday in connection with the education protests.
But the willingness to strike is smaller than with the previous campaign in November last year, as reported by RTV Noord.
All eighteen primary schools run by Public Education Groningen (OOG) are closed on Thursday 30 and Friday 31 January. The primary schools run by the Katholieke Onderwijs Centrale in the city are also closed.
Of the twelve Christian primary schools in the city, two did not strike this time: Meeroevers and De Tamarisk. In November they all participated.
Protest marches
In various cities, including Groningen, Amsterdam, Rotterdam; The Hague, Maastricht and Middelburg, teachers are holding protest marches and demonstrations. The teachers believe that there is an ‘education crisis’ and demand that the government invests hundreds of millions of euros in more wages and reduce the workload.
Image via Peter Steinfort/RTV Noord