First school day in Bulgaria started with protests of 81 per cent of the teachers in the country, according to data of the united strike committee of the teachers.
Education Minister Daniel Vulchev said that he had no doubts that the school principals followed his order to begin the school year on time. On September 14, Vulcev said that sanctions would be imposed on principals who fail to obey his order.
According to the Education Ministry, only 10 per cent of the schools went on strike on September 15.
The teachers wore signs on their cloths reading “Decent labour, decent salary,” mediapool.bg reported. They insisted on a 100 per cent increase of the salaries and threatened with a strike for an undefined period, starting on September 24 2007.
Parents of first-year students said that the protests of the teachers spoiled the feast of their children, while upper-grade students supported their teachers, mediapool.bg said.
Vulchev said that the demands of the teachers can be fulfilled only if the Cabinet would cut by half the budget for the army or would decide not to buy new cars for the police.
The teachers gave society and the Cabinet a clear signal that Bulgaria needs modern and higher quality education, which is impossible without qualified and well motivated people, he said. In return, the Cabinet will increase the teachers’ salaries by 52 per cent by July 2008.
President Purvanov said that the Cabinet should act fast and have an “active dialogue with the union.” Presidential institution can mediate to prevent a strike.
Protests continue, but will be held after classes.
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 | VOX PROFESSORE, VOX DEI
About nanopolitics of Bulgaria
Dr George Chaldakov
Medical Univesrity, Varna
Dear students, teachers and scientists, you certainly know about buckminsterfullerence (the buckyball), a multihexagon-composed sphere of sixty carbons, and, respectively, today’s rapid development of nanotechnology and nanomedicine - from Greek, nanus, nanometer (nm - one billionth of a meter), and also nanism, a growth hormone deficiency disease resulted in man’s small growth in height.
Now, you may learn about what I conceptualize as nanopolitics, a job dealing by small-sized politicians - nanopoliticians, an unique species of zoo politicon living preferentially in Bulgaria. And very much ignoring the quality of both education and science, an essential part of the quality of life (QOL).
“How long, Sergei Stanishev and ministers, will you abuse our patience? – in 63 BC, the Rome’s consul and greatest orator Marcus Tullius Cicero asked the conspirator Lucius Sergius Catilina.
Answers of such a dramatic question can be given by those politicians who are technocrats in their frame of mind, and not being artists and advocates. It is indeed very much disappointed that BG nanopoliticians do not pay any attention to the so-called “triangle of knowledge” composed of education, science, and innovations, as proposed by the strategy of Bologna, Lisbon, and Brussels.
Hence, the pressure over the nanopolitical attention paid to BG education and science should be continuing until the voice of teachers and scientists be listened, that is, a better financial support be ensured by the state and business for such sacral human activities such as pursuit of knowledge and discovery. For the benefit of and better QOL in our country!
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