Students snub minister at awards ceremony over education reforms

A dozen students at a national academic awards ceremony on Tuesday declined to shake the hand of Education Minister José Ignacio Wert in protest at his planned reform of the education system, which, among other things, puts religious studies on the same level as other subjects.

The students were also protesting against cuts to spending on education as part of the government's austerity drive. As well as Wert, they snubbed the secretary of state for education, Montserrat Gomendio, while some wore green t-shirts with a slogan calling for public education for everyone. One student said she declined to shake Wert's hand because of the "lack of respect" his reforms showed toward the Constitution.