Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
He did so in reaction to a request signed by opposition MPs who want to talk about the situation in the education sector.
Mamojka has also invited Education Minister Juraj Draxler, representatives of the Slovak Teachers’ Initiative (ISU) which organised the current strikes, as well as head of schools’ unions Pavol Ondek.
However, Mamojka is not very optimistic about reaching positive palpable results in the meeting. "As a pragmatic person, I tell you that we won’t solve much,” he said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “Essentially, they [teachers] are right, nobody says that there is enough money in the education system. However, the teachers on strike spoil the contents of their protest by form. Our mandate ends by March 5 – so what can we solve in four weeks? Prinicpally, teachers are right, but it is ridiculous to try solve it now.”
Moreover, one of the initiators of the session, vice-chair from opposition Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH) Martin Fronc was not sure about what type of resolution its should adopt. “We have to agree also with the ruling Smer’s MPs, as they are in majority,“ he explained for TASR. "I want to try to seek a joint solution on Monday, February 1.” He initiated the session, as he deems it crucial that MPs who deal with education know the true stances of all parties involved.
As of January 28, fewer schools were involved in the strike: by 10:00, there were 144 schools closed (1.7 percent of the total number), the Education Ministry informed. The trend of protesting schools is declining; while most of the schools that have ended the strike and opened doors are in the Bratislava Region, the least have changed their minds in the Trenčín Region – where there are still 15 closed. Totally, 23 fewer schools were closed on January 28 against the previous day, and 65 against Monday, January 25.
On January 28, there are two protests – in downtown Košice in the afternoon and in Nové Zámky since morning, the SITA newswire wrote. The next day, a protest meeting will take place in the SNP Square in Banská Bystrica, and on February 1, the Initiative of Martin Teachers holds a protest meeting, too.
