“The concerns are the same every year, only the intensity of their topics changes. Maybe now we are not facing such a large shortage of teachers, but again, it is probably clear to everyone at what cost. Because teachers work beyond their workloads, having 35-37 weekly lessons. We don’t even talk about quality or teacher burnout anymore. Those gaps have been patched up, I am happy as a leader that we have a team, but again the question: at what cost?” – said J. Andrijauskienė.
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She also emphasized the shortage of psychologists and social workers. According to the rules, one social pedagogue should be assigned per 400 children. “But it is no secret that in a school of a thousand students there are only two such pedagogues, not because someone does not allocate a position or money, simply because there are no specialists,” said the school principal.
She recounted recently speaking with the school’s psychologists, revealing that the need for psychological help is enormous. Children may have to wait up to two months for consultations.
“Children stand in line for psychological help because the need for psychological support is huge. I am no longer even talking about teachers, who also need that help. School psychologists practically do not consult teachers, unless they kindly chat about something while passing in the corridor,” said J. Andrijauskienė.
She is certain: on September 1st everyone will be happy, in high spirits, but just as surely after a month everyone will be exhausted.
According to her, children’s emotional state is also deteriorating. Teachers still associate this with the consequences of the pandemic.
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“We welcome the idea of banning phones, but again probably many are upset that there are no unified decisions at the state level. Now even parents compare schools: why is it like this in one school and different in another,” noted the head of Herman Zuderman Gymnasium.
The education specialist also draws attention to the safety situation in schools. The drones flying in spring and the panic that followed showed that there are still no clear instructions on how to act.
“Rarely does a school have real cover (…). These safety issues are very relevant and we, as leaders, have to calm the community. Knowledge often helps, but we do not have exactly that knowledge of what to do,” said the interviewee.
She admitted: there is a lot of fear in society. Even now some parents have declared they are leaving for Spain precisely because of geopolitical unrest.
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