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Teachers across Poland strike to protest education overhaul

Teachers across Poland strike to protest education overhaul

WARSAW, Poland — Teachers across Poland are staging a one-day strike to protest a sweeping overhaul of the education system that will see middle schools eliminated this fall.

Many teachers fear they will lose their jobs and are refusing to teach their lessons Friday in protest. Some parents are keeping their children home from school.

The populist government says it is reforming a school system that doesn't work well — even though Polish students do well in international rankings. Critics believe the government is using the change as a pretext for introducing a more nationalistic curriculum and for putting more of its supporters in top jobs.

The Union of Polish Teachers, which organized the strike, estimated that some 40 to 45 per cent of schools nationwide are participating.

Some teachers support the government plan.

The Associated Press