Schoolchildren in Spanish Catalonia are experiencing the austerity measures introduced throughout the country in a particularly personal way – by being told to restrict their use of toilets.
The ministry of education ordered among other things that schools in the northeastern region limit the use of lavatory paper to a maximum of 25 meters per pupil per month, reports The Telegraph.
“Not to worry, the kids will be able to use euro notes soon. They’ll be worth less than toilet paper,” one of the readers commented.
“Environmentalists never did like toilet paper, so they should be happy,” another one said.
The quotas are just one of many measures the central government has forced upon autonomous regions in a nationwide drive to save money.
The austerity regime has taken its toll on all budget spending areas, including education, public healthcare and social benefits.
They are deemed necessary to address the problem of mounting national debt, which Madrid is struggling to curb.
However the general population is reluctant to carry the debt burden, which many believe was created by greedy financiers and politicians who took unnecessary risks at a time of prosperity, but refused to take responsibility in time of trouble.
Spain has seen a number of major protests over recent months, with demonstrators demanding that banks and large companies rather than ordinary taxpayers foot the bill.