The ongoing power struggle between Francisco Camps, the head of Valencia Comunidad, and the National Government, over the teaching of Civic Education in English, has come to a head.* The threat of a general strike throughout the Valencian public education system, which was planned for last Tuesday, has finally seen regional premier Francisco Camps back down on his plan for Civic Education to be taught in the area?s schools in English. Camps last Monday authorized schools to teach the subject? which has already been taken up by 600,000 students nationwide ? in one of the region?s two official languages (Spanish or Valencian). Camps? insistence that Civic Education ?which touches on ethics and issues such as gay marriage ? be taught in English was, according to many observers, a ploy to make the introduction of the subject more difficult.* The class, which was introduced by the ruling Socialist party, is widely opposed by the PP, the more Christian sectors of which see it as having controversial content.* Speaking for the Platform of Public Teaching, spokesperson Gemma Piqué on Monday applauded the ?acceptance of the impossibility of teaching these classes in English,? and said that the agreement reached on Monday was ?an important step? in normalizing relations between the school system and the regional government.

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