The mayor of a Danish metropolis has backed the refusal to fireplace a Russian-born schoolteacher regardless of calls for from Ukrainian dad and mom, a few of whom are refugees from the present battle with Moscow. The instructor was accused of mistreating kids and spreading “propaganda” on the Nordvestskolen faculty in Helsingor, though the administration has disputed these claims.

“These moms need the college to fireplace the instructor. However we don’t do this in Denmark. We don’t hearth folks due to their ethnic background,” Helsingor Municipality Mayor Benedikte Kiaer advised TV 2 on Sunday.

The instructor was described as a girl who has been residing within the nation for many years and is a Danish citizen. In response to native media, out of the college’s 32 college students, 27 are Ukrainian and one is a scholar from Ukraine who’s a Russian speaker.

The row broke out on February 3, when college students have been having a music class taught by the Russian-born instructor and her colleague. College inspector Soren Pedersen mentioned each lecturers complained to him about “very abusive conduct” from two Ukrainian college students in the direction of the instructor of Russian ethnicity. Additionally they performed and sang the Ukrainian nationwide anthem in the course of a lesson “as a provocation,” Pedersen mentioned.

The varsity despatched a letter to oldsters in regards to the incident. Three dad and mom wrote again, saying that they didn’t need the instructor in query in school. “It’s disrespectful to all Ukrainians to ask a instructor from Russia to work with Ukrainian kids who’ve fled the conflict with Russia,” wrote one of many moms, Diana Chynba, as quoted by the media.

A second altercation occurred on February 24, precisely one yr after Moscow launched its navy operation within the neighboring state. Two schoolgirls introduced a Ukrainian flag with them and tried to enter the classroom in the course of a lesson they weren’t attributable to attend, the college mentioned.

“The intention was to show the Ukrainian flag as a provocation in opposition to the Danish-Russian instructor,” Pedersen mentioned, including that one other member of workers had tried to cease them from interrupting the lesson and make them disguise the flag. In response to Pedersen, one of many ladies advised him that “you probably have Russian staff, you assist Russia.” 

Tereza Podoliak, one of many Ukrainian college students concerned, advised TV 2 that she and her classmate, who had a Ukrainian flag wrapped round her shoulders, arrived to choose up a good friend from one other class. She accused the Russian-born instructor of beginning the battle.

Chatting with the media, Tereza’s mom, Olga Podoliak, claimed she had no downside with the instructor’s ethnicity. “However it is very important defend our rights and cease Russian propaganda,” she said.

Kari Jorgensen, the college’s headmaster, defended the choice to not permit the airing of the Ukrainian flag. “We’re in Denmark. We have a good time the nationwide days which can be in Denmark,” she mentioned, arguing that college students “have to get to know Danish tradition.”

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