Konarski School still without a headmaster

In October last year a long-standing headmaster of the Szymon Konarski Secondary School handed in her resignation. However, a competition for the position has not been announced so far, and we still do not know when it will take place.

 “Competitions are announced by the National Agency for School Assessment at the request of the local government. So far the municipality has not given such an order,” Krystyna Kratkowska, who performs the duties of the headmaster, told zw.lt last Saturday.

Our portal has been informed by the local government that the list of schools has been sent to the agency where the competition is to be announced. A specific date, however, does not depend on the municipality. “It depends on the agency’s arrangements. It is them who monitor schools all over the country. They have lots of work. […] From my own experience I know that it lasts,” said Antanas Gadeckis, Head of Human Resources of the local government in Vilnius, when interviewed by zw.lt. Pursuant to the legislation, a school can function without a headmaster for a year. However, this term is sometimes extended.

The National Agency for School Assessment has informed that it has obtained the list. “For the time being, however, we can’t specify a particular date. We have to establish the details with the local government,” said Justina Šalnaitė from the Agency for School Assessment in the interview. Nevertheless, she pointed out that the competition will take place this year for sure.

Last year the Szymon Konarski Secondary School was relegated to a primary school within the school network reorganisation plan.

Problems with the reorganisation in the Szymon Konarski School began this year in the summer, when on 1st April the council from the previous term of office decided that the school would be transformed into a primary one. Councillors from the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (AWPL) had voted for it.

Soon after that, on 29th July, the newly elected council decided on nine secondary schools in Vilnius to be transformed into primary ones, including the Szymon Konarski School. This time AWPL councilllors voted against the reorganisation. At the very beginning of the session, the AWPL faction suggested that they not consider the issue, as there had been no consultations with the school communities. The proposal, however, was rejected.

Twenty-five councillors supported the reorganisation, fourteen opposed, and two abstained. The school community challenged the decision in the court.

On 11th August the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court suspended the council’s decision, which did not allow forming 11th- and 12th-grade classes in this educational institution, for the duration of the trial. However, on 31st August the board of judges that had been considering the appeal lodged by the municipality of Vilnius governed revocation of that decision, and the day before the beginning of the school year, the students had had to move to another school.

On 14th September the school headmaster Teresa Michajłowicz handed in her resignation. “It’s hard to excuse oneself in such a situation. Both teachers and students were displeased,” she explained her decision when interviewed by zw.lt.