The Romanian Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, paid a working visit to Mureș County on Thursday, March 28. During the visit, among other events, starting at 1:30 p.m., there was also a working session with the principals and deputy principals from the school units of Mureș County, where they discussed the problems encountered by the management of the Mureș schools.
Among the numerous topics debated at the end of the meeting with the directors from the county, there was also discussion about the free days around the Catholic Easter from which the teaching staff, not only the students, will benefit. So, the Minister of Education answered the questions that arose on this subject, clarifying, on the eve of the celebration, the doubts and misunderstandings of the teachers.
Controversy among Catholic teachers: “Are we entitled to Easter days off or not?“
This controversial topic raised dissatisfaction among the teaching staff and auxiliary staff in the educational units of Mureș county, of the Catholic or Reformed-Calvinic religious denomination, because in some schools, contrary to the collective labor contract, the management decided to reduce the number of days off, from three to two or even just one. If students will be able to be absent on March 29, Good Friday, but also on April 1 and 2, i.e. the first and second day of Catholic Easter respectively, some teachers face problems in this regard.
The President of the Pre-University Union of Muresian Education, Molnar Zoltan, was the one who raised the issue during the question session at the end of the meeting. “In the schools of Mureș county, the proximity to these holidays (the Catholic Easter holidays) has created a series of controversies and dissatisfactions. According to the employment contract, for education employees, Good Friday (March 29), the second and third days of Easter (April 1 and 2, respectively) are non-working days, but in many schools in Mureș County, decisions were made that these days will not be given off, only the first and second and Easter or even only the first day, that is, in some schools not even Good Friday. Then, my question would be: can education employees benefit from what is written in the collective labor agreement, which means all three days, but also if the decision at the level of educational units can constrain the number of these days?“, was the concern mentioned by the president of the Mureș Pre-University Education Union.
Ligia Deca: “The school cannot limit your right obtained through the collective labor agreement“
The Minister of Education gave an answer as clear as possible, declaring that no school can limit the right to the three days off in any way, as this right is mentioned in the collective labor agreement. Therefore, any Catholic or Reformed teacher who wishes to be absent during this period can do so, provided that the respective hours are made up or made up, a choice that remains at the discretion of the management of each educational unit.
“According to the collective labor agreement, those days are legal days off for those of the Catholic denominations, or other denominations that celebrate Easter this week. Moreover, I suggested that each Board of Administration judge the situation at the level of the educational unit, and there are two major options: one of substitution, if there are few teaching staff and it is possible, or suspension with recovery of the hours the teacher is absent, of course , this also depending on how many students are on Easter vacation. If I have to answer your question precisely, I say no, the school cannot limit your right obtained through the collective labor agreement“, the Minister of Education clarified the situation.
Read also: Holiday for Catholic and Reformed students from Mures during the Catholic Easter period
Text: Lorena PINTILIE
Photo: Diana CARBUREAN
Tags: Controversy Catholic teachers Easter Ligia Deca school limit Mures News Targu Mures News
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