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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 14:28

Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees call for resignation of Minister Suplinska

BC, Riga, 25.11.2020.Print version
The Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) has decided to call for the resignation of Education and Science Minister Ilga Suplinska (New Conservative Party), LIZDA Chairwoman Inga Vanaga said during a press conference today, informs LETA.

Vanaga said that Suplinska was ready to support just one of LIZDA's demands, two were partially supported, while the rest were completely ignored.


At the same time, she pointed out that the social dialogue with the minister after a LIZDA council meeting has deteriorated.


Vanaga indicated that the teachers' union finds it unacceptable that legislative amendments demonstrating a complete lack of understanding about teachers' work are being pushed through during the state of emergency. The minister's rhetoric is cynical, the union leader said.


The requirements that are being set during the nationwide state of emergency are inadequate, Vanaga said, adding that the teachers are already doing more that they can be expected to do. To introduce the new curriculum, they lack high-quality teaching aids and IT support, while remote instruction puts additional stress both on the teachers and their students, which affects the quality of education.


"In such circumstances, the education and science minister plans to approve increased teaching quality requirements by the end of this year, while the failure to comply with these requirement will mean a 20% pay cut for teachers. LIZDA considers this to be impermissible and cynical. Instead of this, the minister should be looking for new support measures for the teachers," Vanaga said.


Another teachers' demand which Suplinska has been ignoring is support for preschool teachers. Instead of providing assistance to the preschool teachers, a political agreement has been reached prioritize private education institutions, digitalization and IT purchases, Vanaga said, admitting though the importance of some of these priorities. 


Th third problem, which is not being addressed, is the base financing for higher education and science, which is recognized as a problem also by the ministry. 


The LIZDA chairwoman said that the union will draw up a written demand for Suplinska's resignation and submit it to the minister and the parliament which will have to debate the resignation demand and decide on it. Vanaga said she did not expect Suplinska to announce her resignation on her own accord.


Asked if her conflict with the trade union could be resolved in a different way, Suplinska said that this question should be asked LIZDA and that she has provided answers to the union's questions. 


The minister also said she is not ready to scrap the planned school reform, which provides for cutting state subsidies by 20% to those schools where students get less than 40 percent in centralized examinations.


Suplinska also blamed the trade union for unwillingness to cooperate on decisions concerning education in the circumstances of the epidemic. 

 






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