The president of USR, Cătălin Drula, criticizes the government for promising teachers some vouchers, which would represent European funds for teaching training and the purchase of materials, notes Agerpres.
“We have to say: it is still a hoax, probably invented by one Marcel for another Marcel. Minister Boloş is trying to use some EU funds that are for something else, they are for the training of teachers, to buy didactic materials, books, training courses These European funds are not intended for salaries,” said Cătălin Drula, during a press conference held at the party’s headquarters.
He opined that the negotiations between the Government and the Education unions represent “one of the most defiant moments” in politics in recent years. Drula drew attention to the fact that a beginning teacher earns 2,400 lei, the equivalent of 2,000 lei, at the beginning of the government.
“The rest was eaten by inflation. Even this loss was not compensated in any way by this government and they came up with this false solution of vouchers. (…) People want to have higher wages, which also means a higher pension when they retire means a predictable life. They don’t have to go out on the street, humiliate themselves, to throw vouchers at them from the Government, I don’t know what second,” added the president of the USR.
For his part, USR senator Ştefan Pălărie appreciated that the Senate’s adoption of the education laws on the first day of the strike was a “humiliating gesture”. According to him, there were approximately 50 days dedicated to parliamentary debates on education laws, of which only five days were spent in Senate committees. He mentioned that the USR requested “numerous times” the extension of the deadlines for the debates, in order to ascertain whether there are unconstitutional provisions, but that all these requests were rejected.
“Within the 48-hour period, we submitted an appeal that also includes procedural elements, namely, including in the second Chamber of the Parliament, amendments were brought and voted on that, due to the principle of bicameralism, had not been discussed in the first Chamber. But there were also moments that contravene the main rights in the Romanian Constitution. The first is the non-discriminatory right to education. Or, the introduction of this parallel entrance exam, which was contested by students, parents, civil society, everyone, it passed by force and the black-and-white negotiation from 90% places with an exam, to 60%, then to 50%, is a matter that is not only discriminatory, but also unconstitutional, in our opinion,” he said.
In the referral to the CCR, issues related to the right to private life were also reported, in the context of the provisions related to the video surveillance system in schools. The USR senator also cited issues related to the implementation of the “Hot meal” program, stressing that it should be extended as soon as possible to all schools in Romania. USR supports the phased implementation of the “School from 8 to 17” project, until 2030, with costs that would have been within the limit of 15% of the general consolidated budget.
“There are two stages that we have proposed. Namely, until the year 2030, Romania should assume as bravely as possible that all school units learn in one shift. The new law proposed by the Government only proposes, from the three shifts, to be reduced to just two shifts. (…) This ‘one shift’ would have meant, starting in 2030, that all classes would take place in the morning. Then, at noon there would be a hot meal for all children, and in the afternoon optional programs (…), remedial programs, study programs and performance programs can take place”, said Ştefan Pălărie.
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Editor : M.D.B.
