Education sector workers stage protest in central Belgrade: Outraged by violence, they repeat these words

Photo: Marko Jovanovic

Outraged by horrific cases of violence against teachers, education sector workers started a large protest in central Belgrade today.

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One of the reasons for the protest is the attack that took place in Backa Palanka, where a student, a teenager, assaulted a teacher, fracturing bones in his head.

Shortly after that, an incident occurred in the 3rd Belgrade Gymnasium, where a physical education teacher was seriously injured as he rushed to separate two students engaged in a fight.

This protest today is held under the symbolic message, "How much longer?" and those words featured today on numerous banners.

"Dear teachers, we have stated countless times so far that our dignity has been taken away. We didn't express ourselves well. We let it seem like they took it from us. The subjective feeling of powerlessness is present in every employee in schools," Mirjana Gasic, spokeswoman for the Trade Union of Education Workers of Serbia (USPRS) told those gathered, and added:

"Students do not see the meaning and justification for schools to exist. Teachers do not see the meaning of the effort they invest in the teaching and educational process. (Children's) upbringing moved away from the family to some other place. Unfortunately, schools are not that place."

(Telegraf.rs)