Teachers and students protest to return to school after floods in Valencia

(CLO) Families, teachers and students protested in Valencia, Spain, on Saturday to demand action for schools damaged by floods that have killed more than 220 people and left thousands of students unable to attend school.

Holding placards demanding the resignation of Valencia's head of government, Carlos Mazon, protesters marched through the city center of Valencia, nearly a month after the country's worst natural disaster in decades on October 29.

The debate over how the regional government handled the flooding continues, with a teachers' union accusing the government of leaving teachers and students to handle the cleanup on their own.

Students also joined a protest demanding to go to school in Valencia, Spain on November 23, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Five people remain missing in the Valencia region after torrential rains and floods left scores drowned in cars and underground car parks, and collapsed homes.

Regional teachers' union STEPV said 30 schools remained closed, leaving 13,000 children without a place to learn. The Spanish government said about 5,000 people attended the protest.

"We feel abandoned because teachers, parents and volunteers have to clean schools. We have seen cleaning staff in some schools but it is still not enough," said STEPV spokesman Marc Candela.

A spokesman for the Valencia regional government said that since November 11, about 32,000 students from flood-hit areas have returned to school. " Education centers are undergoing special cleaning tasks," said Daniel McEvoy, Valencia's education minister.

Mazon was accused of sending flood warnings to residents too late. He admitted he made mistakes but refused to resign, saying the central government-run agency responsible for measuring water levels had failed to send enough warnings.

Huy Hoang (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tay-ban-nha-giao-vien-va-hoc-sinh-bieu-tinh-doi-den-truong-sau-tran-lu-o-valencia-post322638.html