the Education: social and political unease

Rajoelina did launch a final warning to his Education Minister with quite a threatening tone. “There are people longing for making hostages out of pupils; we will not accept this”, he said. But how come did Manoro Regis become so publicly targeted by the HAT’s leader?
The Zafy political sphere’s former spokesman would allegedly be supporting the teachers’ strike. Children have been joining school to play all day long during the latest couple of weeks. High schools are empty. The strikers however promised to do what it takes to complete the school year program at any rate. But they did so before the latest peek of tension.
A minister bidding for offers and begging money
Manoro Regis tried to settle the issue through negotiation, and not exactly in the HAT’s way, namely a radical solution to break the movement. “I made four proposals, but none proved to be viable for lack of money”, he argued. The Education Minister subsequently blamed this stumbling block on the HAT’s Finance Minister: “The proposals are based on teachers’ demands requiring allowances amounting to Ariary 210 billion up to Ariary 131 billion.
“The Education department will complete further case studies and turn new proposals out. Now we do know how much is available”, declared Regis Manoro. He added that these proposals would address civil servants and teachers and not those ones paid by the FRAM (parents’ association) and receiving symbolic support from the state.
Besides, the FRAM Association broke up with the movement by openly stating its denial of any alleged support of the ongoing strike: “We have to account to parents who do pay our wages; we can not join the strike,” declared the association’s spokesman.
Does Andry Rajoelina dread any political game likely to fuel social unrest? He actually mentioned an alleged action supposed to turn pupils into hostages. The striking teachers denied whatever political motivation and made clear that their claims’ legitimacy is no different from that of the university professors.
Political incentives
Minister Manoro Regis is on the hot seat, namely for having allowed the strikers to demonstrate on the Ministry’s courtyard. Now they can no more for police officers are guarding the entry. The restriction is being justified by the alleged preparation of exams.
Would the Zafy political sphere’s minister in charge be trying to save his skin? He denied any political maneuver supposed to crash the country’s educational system. “It’s hard to believe that the PHAT could give credits to such rumors. It does know how much we are contributing to this inclusive and consensual government” said Regis Manoro. Rajoelina actually wants him to silence this strike without spending a single penny. Now that the electoral period is closing in, the AVI or TGV parties might be much interested in making the educational department theirs for the sake of an efficient propaganda.
The HAT has long been ruining the Malagasy educational system as a matter of fact. In 2010, some 700,000 children were out of school according to the Unicef’s report. The trend is definitely not improving. In 2012, pupils’ average mark barely over 7/20 has become common. Equal opportunities have long become history now that private schools do show themselves to their best advantage.