Teachers have been on strike in Poland since Monday. As always with strike, the ultimate goal is increased salary.
I'm getting lots of analysis from colleagues (who have day jobs as public teachers), and adult students (who are liberal until they are made to feel uncomfortable). And as always there is My Side, Your Side and The Truth.
I will explain the situation as I've been able to synthesize it.
First, some background:
Today, 100 zloty = 26 USD
The average salary across Poland in 2018 was approx. 4900 zloty / 1295 USD a month, which is around 3530 zloty / 934 USD after tax.
A first year teacher, newly graduated from University, is paid 1400 zloty / 370 USD per month before tax. After 25 years, a teacher in Poland can expect to finally hit the national average of 4900 zloty / 1295 USD before tax.
In Poland there are two teacher's unions - a large one and a small one -- and approximately 95% of teachers are in one of the unions.
In Poland the number of hours of class time per day is 3.6. This only includes time the student is actually being instructed. This doesn't count assorted time-consuming responsibilities the teachers have like preparing each lesson; creating tests; grading tests, papers, projects; duties within the school day like supervising lunch or break time, etc. Only instruction hours are ever counted in debate.
This week and next are three days of national end of year testing. Only persons with specific qualifications are allowed to administer these tests, and by law only if the students take THESE TESTS, and are then rated/ranked, are they allowed to take the Ginormous test at the end of school that basically determines their life forever more.
The larger of the teacher's unions called a strike for the week of these tests, to begin on Monday, and the smaller union joined in. Teachers would go to the school but would not interact in any way with the students. Headmasters were required to find personnel to "monitor" any students who did show up at school (in case their parents couldn't find other suitable day care).
The PiS propaganda machine in Warsaw went to work, delivering Alternative Facts such as "Teachers on average are paid 5000 zloty per month", which rural parents began quoting. Rural parents started calling teachers "Terrorists", saying that they only "work" 3.5 hours a day, they get "bank holidays", and they take 2 months holiday in the summer.
Educated, urban parents seemed to support the teachers in their efforts.
Headmasters quickly enlisted pensioner teachers to come to the school to administer the 3-day special tests, but the large Union got wind of this and objected due to the pensioners not having the proper qualifications to administer. So the PiS-controlled parliament changed the law so that the students ARE NO LONGER required to take these three-day tests in order to be able to take the Ginormous test.
At this time the head of the smaller union, against the express desires of a huge majority of his union members, caved to PiS pressure and said his teachers would go back to work. Amid speculation of bribery from Warsaw, this union is now losing membership like rats from a burning ship.
As of this writing there is no resolution. I find it interesting that the global tendency is to expect so much from teachers -- to be your kid's surrogate mother, for them to train your kid in ethics and compassion, to teach your kid the skills he'll need to run the world in the future -- but we always want to pay them almost nothing. And it seems the global reason is "they don't work during the summer".
An interesting component to this situation is how much cash the PiS party is expending to buy votes, and how much they are fighting to not pay teachers. Are teachers not as valuable as cows? Keep reading.
Recently the ruling party, PiS, in order to encourage Poles to increase the population, has been paying people for children. Upon having your second child, the government will provide you (regardless of your financial NEED) a payment of 500 zloty / 132 USD per month. Every subsequent child increases your payment by 500, with no limit. Total of 10 children: 9 * 500 = 4500 zloty /1190 USD per month.
As we are coming upon an election year, PiS is courting a new group of voters -- farmers. They are now hoping to buy farm votes by paying a one-time payment of 500 zloty / 132 USD per cow and 100 zloty / 26 USD per pig.
And a message, from teachers