Teachers staying in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine found themselves in a very difficult situation. As told in an interview with the editor of the ZN Education and Science Department. UA Education Ombudsman Sergei Gorbachev, he receives daily requests from teachers asking about guarantees that they will be reinstated if they leave school in protest, salary, teaching experience, and what to do if they are forced to work under.

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“I want to note the most important thing: life is the most important value. I can't give any advice on solutions to these horrendous situations.. Every situation has its solution. But I definitely do not perceive voluntary cooperation with the occupier.

But what about people who are forced to go to work at gunpoint If they are threatened with death? And we already see that these are not just threats: the terrible experience of Bucha, Gostomel, Borodyanka, Mariupol and other cities and towns that we do not know about, confirms this,” Gorbachev notes..

According to him, the order of the Ministry of Education dated March 28 No. 274 contains a decision providing that military administrations or military-civilian administrations must declare idle time in the temporarily occupied territories. This allows you to save salaries and seniority for teachers.. However, this order is not carried out by managers. The Ombudsman does not see public support by the state for people who find themselves in the temporarily occupied territories.

“I believe that the necessary decision is either at the level of the Cabinet of Ministers, or at the level of the Verkhovna Rada, which will take a clear and unambiguous course of action.. If the territory is occupied, then all educational institutions that are located on it declare a simple. And then teachers have the legal right not to go to work, but will receive at least two-thirds, and possibly full wages in accordance with applicable law. However, there are issues with the accrual and payment of wages in these territories.. Now it's almost impossible. After all, managers have lost access to seals, electronic digital signatures, accrual software systems, treasury accounts, and so on to pay salaries to educators. If wages are accrued, how can they be withdrawn from bank accounts? ATMs in the temporarily occupied territories do not work, payment in stores is only in cash. And it is not known whether teachers will be able to use these funds or collaborators will receive them..

At the end of March, the Law of Ukraine “On the organization of labor relations under martial law” came into force, which, in particular, states: “The employer must take all possible measures to ensure the realization of the right of employees to receive wages on time”. And further: “If it is impossible to pay wages in a timely manner as a result of the conduct of hostilities, the period for its payment may be delayed until the resumption of the enterprise’s activities”. Therefore, we hope that these issues will be resolved after the liberation of the occupied territories..

Another problem is the moral support of teachers in the temporarily occupied territories.. I saw an appropriate and correct message in support of them, which was published by the head of the relevant parliamentary committee Serhiy Babak. But besides the statement of the chairman of the committee, I think it would be very good to make such a statement to other authorities.

However, I do not yet see public support from the state for those people who work in difficult conditions and are at risk…,” Gorbachev stressed..

Read more about how Ukrainian schoolchildren study in Ukraine and abroad during the war, what complaints parents and teachers make to the educational ombudsman, and what the state should do so that Ukrainian children, especially those who went to foreign schools, do not lose their Ukrainian education, read. U.A..