The protest, which took place last Thursday, gathered between 500 and 800 professionals, demonstrating the unity and determination of the collective. According to the platform's spokesperson, the day was a "festive" and "historic" one for the sector, which seeks significant change in its working and educational conditions.
Involvement was also notable in the Baix Empordà, where, despite not having exact figures, high participation was recorded. As an example, an educational center in Palamós was mentioned, where nine out of ten rooms remained closed, with only minimum services maintained.
“"It was shown that we are very united and very determined to achieve change."
The main demand of Som Infància is the review of decree 282/2006, which regulates fundamental aspects such as student-to-educator ratios, available spaces, and the number of professionals per child. The platform denounces that the sector is "invisible and disconnected from the system," even though the Department of Education considers early childhood education as a single stage from zero to six years, the realities of zero-three and three-six are very different.
Many of the demands, such as reducing ratios, simplifying bureaucracy, and improving salaries, are shared with the rest of the educational sector. However, the situation of the zero-three sector is particularly precarious, with professionals having to perform personal or documentation tasks while children sleep, without adequate spaces or conditions.
“"We are much more precarious than the rest of the educational system."
The platform also wants to emphasize that nursery school is not just a care space, but offers essential educational opportunities that cannot always be found at home. They point to the Generalitat de Catalunya as the main responsible party, as the decree depends on the Department of Education. Despite having held meetings and appearances in the Parliament of Catalonia, they lament the lack of real changes.
The Girona protest is part of a broader calendar of mobilizations planned for May, including actions in Barcelona. The platform remains optimistic but insists on the urgency of action, stressing that any modification in the educational system should start with the most precarious part.
