Mass Dismissals On Political Grounds At BSU Lyceum

After personal talks with a KGB officer.

Ten teachers "left" the BSU lyceum. According to two independent sources, the teachers' contracts were not renewed.

- On 19 June, ten teachers were 'dismissed' from the BSU Lyceum," a reader wrote to the Zerkalo editorial office.

The information about the dismissal of ten teachers was confirmed by a former teacher of the lyceum. According to her, a KGB officer recently held a personal meeting with the staff of all departments. Lists were then drawn up of those whose contracts would not be renewed.

According to our sources, among those who have resigned are geography teachers, history teachers, teachers of Belarusian language and literature, and the art director. As of Thursday 22 June, the names of these teachers were listed on the website of the educational institution.

At the reception of the BSU lyceum, where the journalists called as concerned parents, they said they had heard for the first time that ten teachers were leaving the institution. The specialist said that she could neither confirm nor deny this information.

- Teachers are like everyone else - some go, some stay. Everybody has their own arguments. Someone comes, someone goes. I think the personnel changes in every educational institution. <...> Everyone has the right to choose: to stay, to leave, to change jobs or to continue working", the interviewee explained the situation. According to her, every year "someone leaves, someone comes" - this is "a normal phenomenon". She also noted that the lyceum has a large teaching staff: "It's not 20 people and not 15. There are also part-timers".

She asked concerned parents not to worry: "The children will have teachers.

- They are not going to hire people off the street to teach the children. They hire people with qualifications <...>. Of course, these are people who are interviewed. We talk to them and see if they are good enough for us," said a receptionist. - This is a normal process for any team. Especially a big team. And believe me, we have a big team. So there is nothing to worry about.

In March 2023, the Belsat TV channel quoted its sources as saying that the school had drawn up three lists of disloyal teachers. Among them:

Participants in the protests;

Those who donated money to various initiatives;

those who signed the petition for alternative presidential candidates in 2020.

It was reported that they were to be dismissed at the end of their contracts so as not to disrupt the work of the lyceum.