Education Minister resigns over budget shortfall for teacher's salary increases

Education Minister Miroslaw Handke met with Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek and tendered his resignation government spokesman Krzysztof Luft said yesterday. The Prime Minister's decision on whether he will accept the resignation should be known today after a morning news conference. Minister Handke resigned after it become clear that the money for teacher's salary raises, which were to be transferred to local authorities, were calculated incorrectly. Due to that error local authorities received zl. 800 million less than they should. It is still unclear where the money to make up that shortfall will come from as the Ministry has only zl. 250 million in reserves. Handke's decision was approved by opposition politicians, as the only appropriate one. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 1,3) A.D.