Director of NBU "Mikhail Lakatnik" in Burgas takes unpaid leave after protest

At her own request, the director of the "Mihail Lakatnik" Primary Basic School (NBU) in Burgas, Zornitsa Koleva, will take a one-year unpaid leave, the head of the Regional Education Management (RUO) in Burgas, Valentina Kamalieva, told journalists.

This afternoon, Kamalieva met with parents of children from the school in connection with the protest that took place earlier due to tension in the educational process, related to manifestations of physical and verbal aggression from a second-grade student.

Kamalieva stated that the RUO - Burgas will provide an opportunity for another leader to take over management in order to restore the normal educational process and the trust of the parents. The head of the institution added that a disciplinary procedure has already been initiated against Koleva after inspections and a violation were found. A candidate for temporary acting director is currently being considered, who should possess the necessary competence to manage the situation.

Regarding the case of the student whose behavior caused the tension, Kamalieva assured that all legal measures have been taken. "Additional support and general support from the school have been taken and implemented for the student, and a regional commission has assessed the student." She explained that work with specialists - a speech therapist, psychologist, and resource teacher - will be organized for the child according to a schedule. The school has already appointed an assistant to the teacher to accompany the child in the educational process to help his socialization.

In response to the parents' signals from the class about systematic verbal aggression and psychological pressure on their children, the RUO will organize group interventions and psychological work in the class. The goal is to de-escalate the tension and calm the students. "Work is being done with the parents regarding their awareness of the types of forms they could choose," Kamalieva also said.

The reason for the protest on the morning of January 15 in the schoolyard, according to the parents, was the lack of effective measures by the management to deal with conflict situations in the classroom, related to manifestations of physical and verbal aggression from a second-grade student with behavioral problems. To journalists, the director Zornitsa Koleva announced that she is ready to talk with representatives of the protesting parents and that on January 16 she will organize an inter-institutional meeting to discuss the necessary measures and a plan on how to continue working with the student with behavioral problems.