Hundreds of education workers marched along Wilson's Promenade for better education: Instead of celebrating, they took to the streets in protest

(Patria) - On the occasion of International Teachers' Day, the Union of Secondary and Higher Education, Upbringing and Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina – SSVOONKBiH, Cantonal Committee of Sarajevo Canton today organized a "Walk for Better Education" from the Third Gymnasium to the plateau in front of the National Museum.

Several hundred education workers, along with their children, walked along Wilson's Promenade.

This was the Union's response to the moves of the Ministry of Education in Sarajevo Canton, which in recent years have derogated the education system. The effects of the reforms have not achieved the desired result, and the quality of education has even been diminished.

"The public has repeatedly witnessed, over the years, the Union's attempts, as well as those of the wider community, through constructive proposals and suggestions and attempts at dialogue with responsible persons in the Government of Sarajevo Canton and the competent Ministry, to help and influence the reform(s) to go in the right direction and for their effects to be qualitatively measurable and better compared to the period before the reform was implemented. To the regret of all of us, primarily students and their parents, but also teachers and the entire community – those responsible have ignored the voice of the profession and implemented the reform(s) as we see them today," the Union stated.

The education system still faces numerous problems due to legal provisions and accompanying regulations.

What the Union particularly warns about is that the Law has not reduced violence in schools, increased safety, the curricular reform has not produced satisfactory results, and a large amount of money has been spent on reforms.

"What is the need for such over-regulation, pressure, and stress that such actions produce in schools? We ask ourselves why we are so (overly) often told from the Ministry that we do not take care of 'the best interest of the child'?! And we only ask that care be taken of 'the best interest of every child,'" the Union emphasizes.

They add that the Ministry's intention to illegally leave the process of managing workers whose need for work has partially or completely ceased to a 'machine' – software, and in the future possibly artificial intelligence (sic!), is almost unbelievable.

"The piloting of this process showed that the software did not work properly, so it is quite obvious that those responsible in the Ministry decided to, bypassing the competent Commission, assign workers themselves without any rational criteria, which caused a wave of dissatisfaction, insecurity, and concern among the mentioned workers, as well as persons waiting for job competitions. The public must know that there are no competitions due to disorganization, not to mention the negligence of the competent ministry regarding this piloting. And about that, more or less everything is already known, and here we only want to note that, due to such conduct, the Union has filed a criminal complaint against the Minister and unknown persons for abuse of official position," they stated.

Instead of celebrating the holiday, this was a way of union struggle for better working conditions and reforms that will benefit all students.