Teachers to ask for adjourning of specialised classes reform

VILNIUS (ELTA) - The trade unions for Lithuanian education workers convened a conference titled "Educators against the destruction of education" in Vilnius March 15.

The goal of the conference is to call the attention of Vilnius municipality and responsible education institutions to the deteriorating economic situation of schools and social conditions of teachers. The Vilnius committee of trade unions affirms that current developments in the national education system could not be qualified as a positive reform.

The organisers invited seniors official of Vilnius city municipality and regional administration.

"The teachers want the officials both to hear them out and to realize their demands. It is indeed high time they stopped impoverishing the schools," the organisers said.

The conference adopted a resolution recommending the authorities to put off the introduction of specialized classes at the upper level of secondary schools until next September, owing to the economic hardships and poor school supplements.

In the resolution the teachers planned to demand free textbooks and other supplies for schools, and to cancel the order of Education Minister Kornelijus Platelis enabling school authorities to cut extra pay for specialist educators and other workers. Among the resolution's points was to be a demand to abandon the phone call limits in educational institutions.