Cape Verdean teachers have waived second period grades in 40 schools in the context of months of protests against the government complaining of threats they plan to take legal action, a teachers’ representative said this Wednesday.
“School directors are making threats. They call teachers into their classrooms, threatening disciplinary proceedings,” said Luse Aleida Semedo, a representative of the protesting teachers.
Aleida Semedo said that if the Ministry of Education continues with disciplinary proceedings, teachers will respond with legal proceedings against the guardianship for “violating” their rights.
“There is a law in this country, of course we must protect our rights. If they initiate disciplinary proceedings, they must explain the reasons and present the laws” that require grading in the system, he said, deploring the fact that the teaching profession “continues to remain unheard” of their demands.
Aleida Semedo reported that, according to the latest data, at least 40 schools, from primary to secondary, have already frozen grades.
National Director of Education Adriano Moreno, quoted today by Radio Cape Verde (RCV), said that the Ministry of Education “does not participate in or feed extremism and radicalism”, that “learning assessment is a student’s right and the grade freeze has no ethical or legal support “
The official said that “the Ministry of Education will protect and protect the rights of students.”
Adriano Moreno said that responses to the teachers’ demands are in process, some of which will soon be published in the Official Gazette.
“The issue of salary and promotion remains unresolved, which the Department of Education has always believed is in the process of being resolved as part of the review of the status of teaching careers and the subsequent update of the Remuneration Table,” he said.
A group of teachers announced a week ago that they would freeze grades for this quarter until the Ministry of Education agrees to discuss the demands put forward from October 2023.
According to them, despite negotiations between trade unions and the Ministry of Education, only a “minority” received benefits.
Demands for salary increases, promotions and subsidies remain unanswered by the majority of the class.
The freezing of grades was already recognized during a teachers’ demonstration in the city of Praia in February.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.