When talking about the workplace in education, calmness is essential for teachers. A PiS spokesman, Rafał Bochenek, stated during a press conference in Krakow on Friday that mass layoffs are unlikely and that any necessary adjustments will be manageably handled so that staff are well protected. He stressed that the ministry’s plan should be viewed in the context of maintaining stability for teachers while the system reorganizes in response to changing conditions.
READ ALSO: Wyborcza reports on potential cuts in teaching staff. The head of the Ministry of Education and Science responded that there is no need for alarm. Czarnek also reflected on events that influenced political leadership in the past.
Bochenek reiterated that there are no imminent mass dismissals. He noted that some reorganization may be required and that teachers should remain calm as the authorities work to ensure everyone is safeguarded. The spokesperson was responding to the Education and Science Minister’s statements that, over a two to three year horizon, there could be reductions in some segments of the teaching workforce, with a particular focus on secondary schools.
According to Bochenek, demographic shifts mean that many people will leave the education system, potentially affecting staffing levels as children grow up and move through the system. He suggested that this demographic decline could translate into fewer teaching posts, but maintained that large-scale layoffs were not expected.
He also pointed out that many teachers work overtime and sometimes hold multiple jobs due to staff shortages. This creates room for strategic adjustments that protect teachers’ interests while addressing the demographic pressures facing schools.
During the press briefing at PiS headquarters in Krakow, Bochenek acknowledged that discussions are underway about the possibility of restoring some early retirement privileges for teachers. He indicated that retirement age considerations would be discussed with the unions. He reminded listeners that teachers previously had earlier retirement options which were removed during the reform era, and that the current government may seek to revisit this policy.
Unions have called for restoring early retirement rights for teachers who have spent decades in the profession, with phrases like thirty years of service and a long period of time spent in front of the blackboard. The measure was part of pension reforms enacted in the late 1990s and was phased out by 2008 as part of broader pension changes.
Czarnek’s remarks during a radio interview
Education and Science Minister Przemysław Czarnek was questioned in a Radio Zet interview about whether teachers might face job losses next year. He explained that there would not be immediate cuts next year but that a broader impact could emerge over two to three years, especially in secondary schools. Principals in various secondary schools have already begun to limit the hiring of additional staff, preferring to rely on overtime to avoid early terminations.
Regarding the scope of potential layoffs, the minister mentioned a target around one hundred thousand teachers out of a 700,000 workforce over a two to three year span. He projected that by 2023 there would be no necessity for such layoffs. He also noted a strong demographic decline affecting secondary schools and emphasized the need for prepared solutions that would allow a portion of teachers to retire, if necessary. When asked about reintroducing early retirement for teachers, he said that the issue must be put back on the political agenda and discussed seriously.
The minister indicated that formal consideration of these ideas would take place in January and continue into subsequent months, with the possibility of enacting relevant legislation in the first half of the next year, subject to a concrete plan and implementation timeline.
Source attribution: wPolityce