VILNIUS - The teachers' strike caused a major casaulty when the Minister of Education and Science, Roma Zhakaitene, resigned. According to news sources, Zhakaitene handed in her resignation note on April 7.
Zhakaitene explains her decision to leave the government was work-related stress.
In the past, there have been numerous protests of teachers in Lithuania who put pressure on the minister because of low salaries of the teaching staff in the country. Teachers' unions representatives have been campaigning for Zhakaitene's resignation since fall. The minister indicated that she might quit the cabinet if this would reduce social tensions in the Lithuanian school system.
In 2007, Zhakaitene withstood two interpellations in Seima (Lithuanian parliament).
A lawyer by profession, Zhakaitene became a minister in July 2006. Prior to her resignation she was considered by some to be one of the most brilliant politicains in parliament and a possible future prime minister.
Prior to that, from 2001-2004, she was minister of culture in Algirdas Brazauskas' cabinet.
At present, Lithuania has the 14th cabinet of ministers since the country regained independence in 1991. Several resignations have already scarred the existing cabinet.
So far, Finance Minister Zigmantas Balchitis (Social Democrat), Interior Minister Raimondas Shukis (Liberal-Centrist), and Minister of Environment Arunas Kundrotas (Social Democrat) have all quit the government.
The teachers strike has been rumbling on for months. The strike was suspended on March 21 but Union representatives have warned that if their demands are not met they will come out on strike again.
Teachers are demanding a 50 percent pay rise. They have so far been unsuccessful in reaching agreement with the ministry of education who, teachers say, reneged on promises previously made.
