— Strikes at the academic year start: pissed off professors!

The Antananarivo University’s new president is officially and immediately stepping into office following the power transfer ceremony. There is nothing extraordinary in there, if we except the fact that Pr Abel Andriantsimahavandy has been made public only on February 17th, 2010, a whole couple of months after his election. The HAT Superior Education has already convened the future former university presidents and their six successors at a council. But without the appointment decree, these new presidents’ decisions, particularly those concerning the academic year start, were controversial.  

Some institutes have started their courses, but the official academic year start has been postponed to February 16th. The SECES has developed mistrust towards a ministry failing from signing its decisions, as well as adopting unsuited measures, for example a notice instead of a decree. “This year start became problematic when the scholarship issue was held in account”, explained a teacher. “If we start to teach, students would be entitled to a full month’s scholarship, no matter how many they would be taught”.  

Without an official and correctly drafted decision, the SECES was drowned in uncertainty. “We have to be prudent since state finances are highly stretched. The ministry is still able to blame us for having begun courses in February “, justified an anonymous teacher. He confessed, besides, that teachers have different reasons of keeping away from school boards. “We are impatiently waiting for our pay check; this will be the indication of the next way to go”, was admitted. As a matter of fact, professors have been, twice in a row, entitled to nasty surprises when receiving their pay checks. 

In December 2009, the research allowances officially pledged by the ministry have never been granted to professors. Researchers were supposed to get a substantial amount of money, since the ministry’s decision was meant to come into effect since October 2009. The jackpot is a matter of some 2.4 millions of ariary per researcher. “Some of our colleagues even signed up to financial engagements”, regretted our speaker.” A ministry official unofficially declared that the SECES is not active enough in favor of the transition regime. Apparently, refraining to join the Magro square was not enough; standing the HAT in a good stead was also required”, he reported with some blue prints of humor. “The appointment of the HAT Prime minister Vital upset the whole business, funds dedicated to us would have been affected to motivate far more active civil servants “, he added, while hinting the armed forces’ potential.  

In the run of the lack of Santa Claus back in December, a second nasty surprise welcomed the teaching researchers by the end of January. The HAT leader promised a 10% raise for civil servants’ wages didn’t he? These ones have been, in the end, amputated of some 100 000 ariary. “They said that it was a mistake and that they were going to correct it during the following months”. The doubt on the state’s financial capacity to capitalize the surprise wage increase decided in January in spite of an austere finance law might be, at last, confirmed. The SECES is especially expecting for a capitalized repay of their research allowances plus four months’ delay. The union ought to be given an idea of it by February 22nd, when the postponed courses are dimmed to begin. Troubling coincidence isn’t it? 

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