PM Orban: We'll ask Parliament to expedite debate of bill allowing hirings in schools

The government will ask Parliament to expedite the debate of the bill that allows the hiring of teachers, non-teaching staff, physicians and school nurses in the educational units where this is necessary, Prime minister Ludovic Orban announced on Monday.

"We have drafted a bill, we cannot issue emergency ordinances for the amendment of Law 55, but we have drafted a bill to be able to hire teachers, non-teaching staff, school physicians, school nurses, where necessary, in the educational units, because at the present time Law 55 has practically prohibited the filling in of any positions by competition in the public system and, if we need teachers, non-teaching staff, medical staff at the school level, we cannot at the moment hire and here we will even ask Parliament for a prompt debate on this bill," the prime minister said in a statement to the press.

He recalled that the Government considered in a first read several pieces of legislation related to the start of the school year, including an emergency ordinance (OUG) aimed at allocating EUR 175 million to local authorities and schools for the purchase of tablets, facial masks or disinfectants. Orban expressed hope that the procurement procedure for 250,000 tablets will be completed this week.

"That's why we have mobilized EUR 175 million additionally, to allow local authorities that have a smaller number of tablets and can make purchases easier than our purchase, at the national level, for tablets and we will settle the tablets' price that are purchased by the local authorities. We will settle up to 500,000 tablets, in addition to the 250,000 that are the subject of the auction. Also, through a programme from the World Bank, we have 74,000 laptops in the process of purchasing. Sure, they'll be mostly for the teachers. Also, interactive blackboards, also webcams, we will launch 3D manuals, which will support the form of online learning, where online learning will be needed," Orban explained.

According to the Prime minister, the Government is also preparing an OUG on the payment of 75 pct of the salary for those parents who have to stay at home with their children in the areas where classes will be suspended.

"We are preparing another emergency ordinance that, where the hours are suspended for a period of time, during which the hours are suspended to continue the measure that we had during the period of the emergency state and that is to pay 75 pct of the salary for a parent so that he/she can stay at home with the child/children, but, I repeat, this measure will be used only where decisions will be taken in the Emergency Committees when the schools are suspended. We are also preparing additional resources for other types of school preparation improvement for the start of the school year," he said.