Possible schooling referendum may spell trouble for Polish gov’t: report

Polish President Andrzej Duda has until 9 January to sign the reform into law or to veto it, sending it back to the Sejm, Poland’s lower house of parliament, for review.

The political website wPolityce.pl claims that Duda is considering the veto option, however PiS caucus leader Ryszard Terlecki denied this.

While a 50 percent majority was required to pass the bill through parliament the first time, overturning Duda’s veto would take a 60 percent majority.

However, PiS holds 51 percent of seats in parliament, while MPs from opposition grouping Kukiz ’15, which is the government’s closest ally in the Sejm, have in past said that they would want the education reform to be determined in a referendum.

Meanwhile, the Polish Teacher’s Union could also elicit a referendum if it gets the support of 500,000 citizens.

Last year the union collected some 250,000 signatures on a petition against the reform.

The government plans to reintroduce in September a system of eight-year elementary school followed with four year high- or five-year vocational-school.

It is to replace a current system of six-year primary, three-year middle- and three year-high school system, which was introduced in 1999. (vb)

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza