School year in HNK begins with strike tones: First graders in desks, educators on the edge of patience

(Patria) - The new school year has begun in the schools of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNK), with 1,768 first graders entering classrooms, while educators marked the start of classes with renewed demands for salary increases. After a seven-day postponement from the initially set date for the start of the new school year, exactly 1,768 students started first grade in elementary schools in HNK today, which is a slight decrease compared to last year, when 1,717 were enrolled. A similar number applies to enrollment in the first grades of secondary schools, around 1,700.

A novelty is the new curriculum for first and sixth-grade elementary school students, and the changes in the implementation of subject curricula primarily relate to teaching content and approaches to students. The emphasis with the new program should be on understanding, connecting, and applying knowledge, rather than the amount of content.

Simultaneously with the start of the new school year, the Coordination of Education Unions of HNK announced their demands for higher salaries. - After the increase in the minimum wage, there has been an unacceptable equalization of salaries for highly educated workers with the salaries of the least qualified, which drastically undermines the coefficient system, makes education meaningless, and demotivates professional staff - the Coordination stated.

Although, as they say, contributions to salaries have been reduced since July 1, the salary increase will only be applied from October 1.

- The 5% salary increase we expect has already been wiped out by galloping inflation. Not a single meeting with government representatives has been realized, despite multiple written requests. Responsibility is being shifted to the line minister, although many problems are systemic and fall under the jurisdiction of the Government as a whole - the Coordination's statement reads, among other things.

As further stated, an urgent meeting is expected, and concrete steps should be taken to resolve the issues.

- We sincerely hope that we will welcome October 5 with a sense of respect in a dignified celebration of Teacher's Day, and not on the street, as we were unfortunately forced to do last year - the unions conclude.