Several teachers have announced that they will not give students their half-year certificates. By doing so they want to persuade the government to devote more money to education and to increase the salaries of school staff including teachers, the Sme daily wrote on December 12.
Such a decision would mostly affect the pupils from the ninth class and school leavers who need the certificates if they want to apply for further education.
Education Minister Dušan Čaplovič warned that if teachers did not give the students the certificates, they will be in violation of the Education Act, Sme reported.
Meanwhile, hundreds of teachers participated in strikes which were held in Prešov, Banská Bystrica and Žilina on December 11.
“It is a pity the trade unions decided to halt the [nationwide] strike,” Marián Joščák from the elementary school in Drienovo, Banská Bystrica Region, told Sme, adding that union representatives should be tougher in negotiations.
Though the strike has been stopped for now, Joščák said he expected the protests to have an effect since the situation remains critical.
The attendees of the meeting in Prešov called on Education Minister Dušan Čaplovič to prepare an analysis of the education sector which would include recommendations to solve the current situation by January 8, 2013. If not, teachers will resume their strike, Sme reported.
The meeting was attended also by Pavel Ondek, head of the schools trade unions, who stressed that it was not just one person, but the whole strike committee, which had halted the nationwide strike, Sme wrote.
Source: Sme
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
