Social conflict intensifies as departmental directors join hunger strike
Leyla Lydia Suazo, departmental director of La Paz
The president of the Teachers Union of Middle School Education in Honduras (COPEMH), Jaime Rodriguez reported that several parents in the north will come, and as we understand, in the next few hours, as will other parents from the west.
"These are the real parents, parents who belong to the Honduran people and they are not being paid by the municipal mayor as has been happening with other parents who are stationed in the basement of Congress," said Rodriguez.
This is further evidence that the Honduran people are united and we have identified that education is a public good, therefore will not let it become merchandise, said the leader of teachers.
"We want respect for the law, we are not defending people, we are demanding law to be applied as clearly stated in the Teachers Statute, we do not understand why the minister of education (Alejandro Ventura) is determined to generate more crisis each day and break the law, we believe this country deserves better people to direct the education system and not people who occupy these posts to politicize the educational system, "said Rodriguez.
The dismissal of departmental directors translates into political interference in education, "education is in disorder and in crisis because it has been politicized historically, it is seen as a source of employment for party activists in government and facing such a situation, of course, we as teachers will oppose it with all of our strength. "
Jaime Rodriguez, president of Teachers Union of Middle School Education in Honduras (COPEMH)
Rodriguez said that in the context of the coup, the body of teachers has undergone several threats, including the intention to repeal the Teachers' Statute, to subject to discussion in Congress a new General Education Law, "which is totally hazardous, not to the interests of teachers, but to the interests of all the Honduran people, because with this law it is aimed to take the first steps towards the privatization of education, transferring to municipalities the responsibility for maintenance, equipment, and payment of educational services of the different centers. "
How can we entrust this man (Ricardo Alvarez) with the education of poor children here in Tegucigalpa , who we know that in the municipality has done nothing and is spending treasury funds to finance hunger strikes against the national body of teachers? We think that should attract the attention of all the Honduran people, the leader of COPEMH asked himself.
Five departmental directors with several parents from the north of the country began the hunger strike in Parque La Merced and it is anticipated that more mothers, parents and citizens of the west will join in the upcoming days.
For her part, Leyla Lydia Suazo, departmental director of La Paz said the hunger strikers feel strengthened because "despite being here a few hours, we've received enough support and we thank in advance all teachers' organizations because they are giving us their support one hundred percent".
"We are demanding our reinstatement, those who illegally dismissed us must reinstate us, because we participated in a contest in which we scored the best grades and that's why we are in office," said Suazo.
He added that "we believe this is somewhat a persecution of a political nature, because it was selective, there are people that competed with us and who do not appear on the list where appear as dismissed, then I think that if the law is fair, it has to be equal for everyone, but it can't benefit some and harm others. "
It should be noted that most fired departmental directors' affiliation is liberal and several have even been selected for a second term, considering their high scores in the selection process.
Asked about the threats against the body of Honduran teachers, Suazo responded that "there is a great persecution against the teachers in general, they aim to violate the Teachers' Statute even more than they already have, and we are also here not only for our reinstatement, but to defend the Teachers Statute's Law, which specifies how to get to department directors positions and to dismiss us is to violate the statute. "
"What the education minister (Alejandro Ventura) is doing is appointing people related to the national party to undertake a major campaign of repression against the teachers," said finally COPEMH president, Jaime Rodriguez.
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