Education Syndicate rejects September 14 school start date

The Education Syndicate, part of the Podkrepa Confederation, has rejected a proposal by a directors' organization to start the school year on September 14. The syndicate stated that teachers will not participate in what they described as a ‘farce’ and suggested that the directors proposing the date should open the school year themselves.

In addition to the start date, the syndicate is advocating for changes to the academic calendar, requesting that the Ministry of Education and Science stop including non-working days in vacation durations and implement a genuine Christmas break.

Regarding the 2027 budget, the syndicate expressed concerns that the education budget is decreasing under the current financial framework. They are calling on the government to prioritize education, arguing that the sector requires 6% of the GDP. To improve the current funding model, which relies on student numbers, class counts, and physical infrastructure, the syndicate proposes adding a fourth component: the number of teachers. This addition is intended to guarantee salaries in schools with fewer than 300 students. While supporting additional funds for smaller schools with insufficient budgets, the syndicate maintains that such funding should not be redistributed from larger schools.