Thousands of students have taken to the streets of Madrid and other major Spanish cities, to voice their fury at proposed education spending cuts, which they claim leaves them with ‘no future’.
Those in attendance chanted, "Bankers' money to public schools!" as they marched through the streets of Spain’s capital, Madrid. Their rally cry is a reference to the billions of euros that the government has given Spain's ailing banks, even as it cuts social spending.Many wore the green T-shirts that have become a symbol of their movement against the budget cuts.3,000 students also marched through the streets of Barcelona, according to the local police. Thousands more protested in Valencia and other cities.Since 2010, some $6.5 billion has been cut from education funding in Spain.Tens of thousands of teaching jobs have been cut, class sizes have increased, and there have been dramatic increases in tuition fees.Scholarships, subsidies for textbooks and school dinners have disappeared, and other support grants have been cancelled.