"It is my primary duty to take care of my children "

Maronsson says that if someone believes he has violated the …

Maronsson says that if someone believes he has violated the code of conduct, it is natural for the matter to take its course and be resolved. Composite image

Members of the Skagafjörður Preschool Teachers' Association and the Skagafjörður Preschool Administrators' Association believe that the chairman of the Skagafjörður Education Committee has violated the code of conduct for elected representatives by participating in a class action lawsuit by parents against the Icelandic Teachers' Union, due to the implementation of strike action in a few selected schools. In doing so, he has chosen personal interests over public interest. Members also believe that he has violated the trust that has been built up over the past few years.

This is stated in an open letter to the mayor and the Skagafjörður municipal council published on the news outlet Feykir.is.

The majority of the Skagafjörður municipal council says in a statement published on the municipal council's website today that the criticism is being taken seriously. At the next meeting, an opinion will be obtained on whether the chairman, Kristófer Már Maronsson, has violated the code of conduct for elected representatives and the eligibility rules of the Administrative Procedure Act through his actions.

Maronsson says that it is not unusual for him as a parent to consider the interests of his children in the case. He is participating in the lawsuit as a parent and not as the chairman of the education committee. If someone believes that he has violated the code of conduct, it is natural that it will take its course and be dealt with. He therefore supports the local government's proposal wholeheartedly.

"It is my primary duty to take care of my children," says Kristófer Már Maronsson, chairman of the Skagafjörður education committee and father of three, in an interview with mbl.is.

"If my personality as chairman of the education committee is to be drawn into this, then the education committee works for all residents of the community; children, teachers and parents," he also says, but reiterates that he is not on this path as chairman of the education committee.

One teacher has already resigned

In the open letter, members say that words cannot describe the anger and hurt they experienced when it was revealed that Maronsson was one of those who sued KÍ. His actions have already resulted in one teacher at the Ársólar preschool in Sauðárkrókur resigning. More are said to be considering their positions.

mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson

"There will be little professional preschool work if there are no teachers left to teach the children. It has been very difficult to staff the preschools in Skagafjörður. If more layoffs follow the decision of the chairman of the education committee, they would mean that the preschools would not be able to keep all departments open, with the attendant consequences," the letter says.

Maronsson says he does not intend to fight the teachers and notes that he is not counter-suing. He is simply loyal to his cause. It is important to rule on the legality of the strike actions, which have only affected a small group of people.

“As I have said many times before, this lawsuit is in no way an attack on teachers or a statement that we do not consider teachers’ work to be respectable or that preschool activities are not important. There is nothing of the sort hidden in this. We are simply in a state governed by the rule of law and are putting our children’s rights to the test.”

Does not realize vested interests

Maronsson does not fully realize what his vested interests are in the case and says he has not received any explanation for this. Neither he nor his children benefit from anything more than others.

“What is the public interest in this case? Is it the public interest that the law is followed in this country or is it the public interest that we ignore the law for the sake of a good cause?” he asks.

“I continue to support the teachers’ wage struggle and I have also said that it is a concern that there are not enough educated people in the teaching profession. Teachers who are educated choose to work elsewhere. I believe that the wages are a part of it.”

Not everyone has the ability to sue

The letter points out that Maronsson had the choice to let others take the fight in this case, but he says that not everyone has the same ability to sue.

“It is true that going to court is not free and this is not done lightly. It is also true that there are families in society who do not have the means to go to court. These are perhaps the families who need it most to see this matter resolved.”

He says he respects everyone’s experience in the case but points out that his participation in the lawsuit has nothing to do with his opinion of the education system or the people who work there. He sincerely hopes that no teachers will be laid off due to the wage dispute

“I think it is quite natural if someone believes that I have violated the code of conduct that it will just take its course and be resolved. "It's perfectly normal."

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