Minister Barbara Nowacka defended the government’s aim to restore the dignity of teachers on TVN24, outlining the challenges the administration faces in delivering promised pay raises for educators.
Officials from the Education Ministry were pressed on the dissatisfaction among teachers regarding unkept promises about salary increases.
Today, reports from the Lublin region noted that teachers welcomed the raise that had been allocated. The official statement stressed the obligation to implement these increases.
She emphasized this point as part of a broader critique of the opposition and the political details highlighted during the election campaign.
Additionally, she argued that during the eight years of governance, certain salary adjustments had not progressed as quickly as in a single month under the current plan. She cited figures: a novice teacher earning PLN 1577, an appointed teacher PLN 1720, and a certified teacher PLN 2194. She acknowledged that some certified teachers might feel it is inappropriate to equate their salaries with those of beginning teachers, but she urged the country to attract more people to the teaching profession.
The discussion then turned to the stance of PiS and Professor Czarnik. She asserted that a 30 percent increase would be fair and noticeable, noting that opposing voices called such a rise impossible. The real shortage in Polish schools, according to her, is the lack of teachers willing to join the profession. She urged continued efforts to encourage teachers. The message was clear: gains announced on October 15 would be consolidated, with only a few items adjusted after PiS, and the government would strive to restore the dignity of educators.
Religion in schools
Addressing the proposal to limit hours of religious instruction, she said discussions would take place if a mutually agreeable arrangement existed. She expressed hope that the episcopate would be open to dialogue. She suggested that children should not receive more hours of religion than the combined hours of biology, chemistry, and physics. If parents want extra religious lessons for their child, she stated that extra church classes would not be prohibited, and this could even benefit the church by increasing sacred time for students.
Later, Nowacka offered praise for Minister Sienkiewicz, arguing that he understood the harm caused by biased coverage on television. She framed TVP’s campaign as a source of unwarranted adversity that had kept certain groups unheard for years, and she said government efforts aimed to reverse that trend.
The program also touched on changes to abortion law. Nowacka asserted that her faction would persuade the public to support its proposals. She stressed that the party would follow through on a broad set of promises and that a coalition including the left would back the plan. The election victory, she claimed, benefited from female involvement and solidarity across the political spectrum.
The remarks framed the new government as facing ongoing tension over campaign promises. When asked for explanations, the standard reply remained that responsibility lay with PiS. The discussion suggested continued debate about the direction of education policy and broader social issues in Poland, with ongoing political jockeying as new arrangements take shape.
mly/TVN24
Source: wPolityce