Teachers protest on the first day of classes in Brasília.
Teachers in the Federal District's public school system have decided to begin the school year with a strike in protest against delays in vacation pay and part of the 13th-month salary, a reduction in the number of coordinators, and changes to the school calendar. Governor Rodrigo Rollemberg had stated that he had transferred the first installment of the benefits delayed by the previous administration; the governor said he expects the situation to normalize in the coming days.
Brasilia 247 - Public school teachers in the Federal District decided to start the school year this Monday (23) with a strike in protest against delays in vacation pay and part of the 13th salary, reduction in the number of coordinators and changes to the school calendar. Governor Rodrigo Rollemberg said, in a press conference this Saturday (21), that he passed on the first installment of the benefits delayed by the previous administration. The governor said he expects the situation to normalize in the coming days.
Classes for the 470 students started two weeks late. According to the Secretary of Education, Júlio Gregório, the change in the school schedule was a consequence of the renovation of some of the 657 educational units. By the end of this weekend, he said, 259 had undergone renovations. Another 77 are expected to have simpler repairs throughout the year.
The teachers were unhappy with the change and claim that the calendar was imposed arbitrarily, causing harm to students and staff in the area. After the schedule change, classes end on December 29th and the mid-year break, which coincides with the dry season, is shortened.
"There is dissatisfaction with all of this. It's not just the financial issues," Rosilene Correa, director of the Teachers' Union, told G1. "Some other government measures, such as the reduction in the number of pedagogical coordinators and the fact that not all schools are undergoing renovations, despite the postponement, have also contributed to this feeling," she added.
The union released a statement criticizing the government's actions, but both the governor and the secretary were working under the assumption that schools would operate normally this Monday. Gregório also stated that the assembly should have taken place on Thursday or Friday, in order to avoid harming the students.
"I want to tell parents, students, teenagers, and adults that they should go to school on Monday because I am sure that many schools will be open, many teachers will be working and welcoming students to start the school year," he said at a press conference on Saturday.
The Federal District has 27 teachers in its public school system, including the 3,5 hired temporarily to cover shortages at the beginning of this year. The local government estimates that another 3 will need to be hired throughout 2015 to fill deficits caused by future leaves of absence.