Education minister sparks new wave of anger
"Level of disagreement over reforms like a birthday party," says José Ignacio Wert
"Compared with other countries from our cultural environment, where there are also educational reforms underway, such as Mexico and Chile, the level of disagreement in Spain could be compared to a birthday party." With these words, uttered on state broadcaster TVE on Thursday, Education Minister José Ignacio Wert sparked a new wave of indignation among parents, students, teachers and unions.
Wert has attracted the ire of these groups ever since he embarked on his reforms for Spain's education system, which have included hugely unpopular measures, including massive cutbacks in funding.
The sector is preparing a response for the minister - who has been dubbed by one union leader as an "innate agitator" - with a wave of strikes planned for the coming academic year.