Thousands of teachers in Poland held protests in 17 cities across the country on Monday over government plans to overhaul the public school system.<br /><br /> Teachers’ union leaders claim that a plan to eliminate middle schools and to return to a two school model of primary followed by high school will result in larger classes and fewer teaching jobs.<br /><br /> #Poland: #Teachers Hold #Protest Against #EducationReform in Warsaw: https://t.co/EVjGtr8bk5 via SputnikInt— Olga Semenova (Ollissya) October 10, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> One protester said it was a retrograde step:<br />“This reform will completely spoil what was improved in education over the past years. Education must be improved, but not in this way.”<br /><br /> At one gathering Poland’s education minister announced there would be more teaching jobs in the future but her remarks were not well received.<br /><br /> The protests come as Poland’s conservative ruling party is facing growing criticism. Last week massive demonstrations forced law makers to reject a total ban on abortion proposed by the the ruling Law and Justice party.<br />
