Chairman of the Latvian Green Party Edgars Tavars: "Šuplinska is dragging education into a swamp"

Edgars Tavars, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Green Party, answers Neatkarīgā’s questions

This week, the Latvian Green Party (Latvijas Zaļā partija, LZP) recommends that educators go on strike to achieve the resignation of the Minister of Education and Science Ilga Šuplinska (New Conservative Party (Jaunā konservatīvā partija, JKP)). Why should Šuplinska resign?

The Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) has demanded the resignation of the Minister, and LZP fully supports this step.

Inadequate decisions of the Minister that are not discussed with the industry regarding the management of the education system at all its levels during the Covid-19 state of emergency degrades the Latvian education and science system as a whole.

The request of the trade union will probably be ignored by Šuplinska, so a strike could be one of the measures to achieve her resignation. Article 108 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia and the Strike Law determine the teachers’ right to strike. The situation is extraordinary and requires an emergency response, so a general strike could force the government to act.

On Thursday, I contacted the head of LIZDA Inga Vanaga, also adding our partners in the Saeima faction from the Latvian Farmers' Union (Latvijas Zemnieku savienība). LIZDA has not yet decided to go on a strike. But I think it will get there - that would be the next logical step.

In conversations with several representatives of local governments, including the leadership of the Latvian Association of Local Governments, I hear that local governments are also very dissatisfied with the activities of the Minister of Education. A large number of educators and parents, who currently have to take on the role of teaching assistant during the distance learning process, can attest to the fact that no improvement has been made in the learning process between the two waves of Covid-19. The Minister is not doing her job, but the demands placed on teachers are growing. In addition, she threatens to humiliate teachers by depriving them of 20 percent of their pay if they fail to comply. And it is happening at the time of covid pandemic, when educators are already under great stress, have been overworked, are on the verge of burnout. Now they also have to fear that their income may fall by a fifth.

These are emergency circumstances and it seems that it will be necessary to switch to distance learning, but there is no clear plan for how this will happen - what is the technical support for this transition, do all students have the technical capabilities? Everyone does the best they can. Šuplinska is dragging the education system into a swamp.

Presumably, the government is not going to do anything and will not try to get rid of Šuplinska, the demand for resignation alone will be just a warning shot, so a strike could be a good move to force the government to address this issue.

It is noticeable that JKP has launched a campaign in the media against LIZDA manager Vanaga...

This is done in the purest spirit of the Cheka, without mentioning any arguments of substance, but against the union leader personally, by starting to insult and offend her.

But I don't think Vanaga will break because educators have been insulted and slandered in the past, and what is happening now is nothing new.

It is not just a problem for teachers. There is also dissatisfaction in higher education with regional universities expressing concerns that science is being wiped out in the regions. It is also the work of Šuplinska. I truly do not understand why she hates universities, science, the bright minds of Latvia?

The children who are now in schools and planning to enter higher education will be the ones who will run this country in 20, 30 and 40 years.

Social workers have also requested the resignation of the Minister of Welfare Ramona Petraviča (Who owns the state?, KPV LV). What is similar and what is different in the case of Petraviča and Šuplinska?

It can be seen that the demand for resignation is more related to her character traits, lack of communication and less to her actions. In any case, her actions are relatively much less dangerous to society than what Šuplinska or the Minister of Health Ilze Viņķele (Development/For!, AP) are doing. Against these ministers, Petraviča still looks pretty good.