119th school switches to online learning due to lack of heating

Secondary School No. 119 „Acad. Mihail Arnaudov“ in Sofia will switch to online learning if the heat supply is not restored. The decision was made after more than a week without heating and hot water in the building, which has left the school’s classrooms and corridors empty for two days.

At the request of Principal Diyan Stamatov, the Ministry of Education and Science has approved remote classes for the period from November 16 to 20. Classes will last 30 minutes, and if the heat supply is restored, instruction will return to in-person learning.

„This arrangement is necessary so that, if there is no heat supply on Monday, we will have the opportunity to conduct the educational process online,“ Principal Diyan Stamatov said.

Eleonora Lilova, head of the Sofia Regional Department of Education, announced that individual access profiles to the electronic learning environment had been provided for all students, while teachers had the necessary technical capacity.

„Individual profiles have been provided for all students so that everyone has access. Teachers have the technical capacity to conduct instruction in an electronic environment,“ Lilova said.

The scheduled date for restoring the heat supply to the school is November 15. If this does not happen, online learning will begin on Monday. Parents and foster parents of children under 12 may propose a change to their working arrangements to their employer if their children are studying remotely.

Residents of Druzhba 2 demand compensation

Residents of the capital’s Druzhba 2 district also took to the streets in protest. They called for the restoration of heating and hot water, as well as compensation for the expenses they had incurred because of the accident.

„We have had no hot water since August 28. Imagine what it is like for a family with two children to bathe using a small pail,“ Asya Popova said.

Plamen Popov said that his family had still not installed a water heater, but would have to incur an additional expense. Aleksandar Tachev pointed out that people were paying for camping showers and medicines.

According to information from „Toplofikatsiya Sofia,“ repair work is continuing only in Section Five of Druzhba 2. The company has set November 30 as the deadline for restoring the heat supply. The delay is due to the replacement of a main heating pipeline located in an underground collector with numerous cables and communications belonging to other utility companies.

On November 19, the Sofia Municipal Council is due to consider Mayor Vasil Terziev’s report on an independent analysis of „Toplofikatsiya Sofia.“

Sources: bntnews.bg