School strike

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School strike is a protest of students. Its main form is a refusal to participate in classes. School strikes are as old as the compulsory school system, and played a major role in granting or restoring student rights. School strikes are a powerful weapon in changing education. They could also be useful in the fight to respect the Declaration of Educational Emancipation and the Fundamental Law of Learning.

Greta Thunberg's climate strike is the most powerful demonstration of the potential extent of school strikes. However, even lesser causes can achieve instant traction in social media. An example from Poland is a good illustration. Today's national school strike was sparked by the opposition to the current right-wing Minister of Education (Dec 11, 2020).

Here it is how fast things can proceed from anger to school strike:

  • Oct 5, 2020: Przemyslaw Czarnek was presented as a candidate for the new Polish Minister of Education. His nomination was delayed as he tested positive for coronavirus. Czarnek is well known for his extreme right wing views
  • Oct 19, 2020: Przemyslaw Czarnek received his nomination. One of his declared goals is Christianization of Polish textbooks. He would want to change the book selection for the compulsory reading lists in literature (see: Curriculum is inherently political)
  • Nov 2, 2020: students set up an open petition to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki demanding a dismissal of the minister (see: Student Petition)
  • Nov 5, 2020: students set up a protest site on Facebook: STOP deMENtażowi Edukacji (neat word play on "Stop dismantling education" and the name of the Ministry of Education)
  • Nov 16, 2020: students submit their petition with 90,000 signatures in Polish Parliament
  • Dec 3, 2020: press conference in Polish Senate with focus on "freedom of speech" in Polish education
  • Dec 7, 2020: students announce countrywide school strike(OGÓLNOPOLSKI STRAJK EDUKACYJNY), which became a consolidation of several school strike initiatives, incl. women's rights strikes, climate strikes, anti-fascist strikes, and more
  • Dec 12, 2020: the strike did not bring down the minister, but prompted him to announce a "freedom package" for universities. Students declare to continue their struggle
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