Polish teachers to continue striking

Head of the Polish Teachers Union Sławomir Broniarz said on Friday that striking teachers will not fill out high school student’s performance reviews, necessary for the end-of-school exams.

According to government officials this might result in country-wide difficulties in universities’ recruitment processes for many students.

The union demands Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to be included in the discussion on pay hikes.

In a media interview on Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki offered to hold "roundtable" talks with unionists after Easter to “work out good solutions,” and asked teachers to suspend their strike during the exams.

Government officials said key junior high school exams took place across Poland this week without disruptions, despite teacher’s strike.

More than 350,000 pupils sat the tests in over 7,000 schools, according to the head of the country’s Central Examination Board, Marcin Smolik.

Education Minister Anna Zalewska told reporters: “Across Poland, unforeseen situations occurred only in three schools. In other schools the exams took place without disruptions."

Zalewska said on Tuesday that several thousand volunteers had come forward to stand in for striking teachers ahead of the three-day tests.

Schools across the country have cancelled classes after teachers on Monday went on a nationwide strike of unlimited duration.

(tf)

Source: IAR, PAP