The teachers and board of trustees of Kiviõli Secondary School No. 1 are demanding the municipal government restore headteacher Heidi Uustalu to the director's office.

The municipal government is convinced the dismissal of the principal is the correct action to take after she allowed a Reform Party youth meeting at school.

"Yes, we continued to hold our position for an hour or so, officially speaking, the negotiations may have been unsuccessful. What happens next, I can't tell you. Maybe tomorrow will be smarter," said Kiviõli 1st High School teacher Mariliis Randmer.

Staff at the school are now organizing an hour-long warning strike on Tuesday.

Parish Mayor Viktor Rauam said they would start trying to find a new principal soon.

Uustalu was fired by the Lüganuse rural municipality government after planing to hold a Reform Party youth meeting at the school.

Last week, a meeting of the municipal government concluded that Uustalu, who had worked for 15 years as a principal, was no longer suited to run the largest school in the municipality. 

Municipal mayor Viktor Rauam said: "In fact, the story is that one head of the school, who is the head of the municipal branch, should be loyal to the employment contract. We cannot expect this at this time and we no longer have any mutual trust."

The decision was met with a backlash by pupils who picketed the school on last Thursday in support of Uustalu and teachers who threatened to go on strike, ERR News reported.  

--

Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS now and never miss an update!