Salihorsk: ‘Young Front’ activist Ivan Shyla expelled from school. Schoolmaster quits to protest

04.06.2008. Tags: Young Front, expulsion, Shyla, youth leaders.
Source: Charter`97.

The educational department of Salihorsk executive committee has reached an illegal decision to expel a leader of the Young Front Ivan Shyla from secondary school #4 of Salihorsk.

Ivan Shyla, was doing his last year at school. He successfully passed two of the final exams, and was to pass the third one, English, today. However, as he was told at the session of the educational department, though the decision comes into force only in ten days, he would be cancelled from the list of pupils who are passing exams, the YF press-service informs.

‘The decision of the commission is absolutely illegal’, Ivan Shyla said. ‘In May the pedagogical council of our school adopted a decision to allow me passing all exams, as I had no problems with attendance and education progress. Yesterday the council of teachers confirmed that decision. But on 3 June, after a higher commission from Minsk arrived, all the 35 teachers who supported me unanimously yesterday, unanimously voted for my expelling based on my ‘activism and numerous detentions during street rallies’. Teachers fear dismissal, as the commission from Minsk has already dismissed an experienced school master and forced his assistant to be quit the job too. After the session some teachers told me: ‘Ivan, understand it please that either we or you are to become victims of the system…’

Ivan Shyla states that if he won’t be given the school leaving certificate in the next few days, he will go to the court. ‘I will bend every effort to insist on justice’, he said. ‘These events, when an illegal decision to expel me is adopted hurriedly, three days before school-leaving certificates are issued, which in fact deprives me of any chance to enter a university, reflect two things. Firstly, they want to demonstrate all people that a person could be deprived of a right to work or study in just a few minutes. They demonstrate their false ‘power’, to show a cautionary ‘example’ for other young activists. And secondly, it is a confirmation that for the last 14 years people known for their committed activism and who are not afraid to openly state their political position, have been being pressurized constantly.’

The expulsion of Ivan Shyla was ordered by Salihorsk city executive committee and Minsk regional officials. Bear in mind that the schoolmaster Volha Siankova quitted the job as a sign of protest, and her assistant was dismissed for unsatisfactory educational work.

In addition, today a policeman has kept duty at school to prevent Ivan Shyla from coming to the exam.

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