Opinion Policy Analysis by Maria Wehbe, Featured Writer

April 30th, 2021

Indeed, teachers are the key to a successful and bright future, because they are educating the future leaders of the world. They are expected to handle so much, all at once: they need to prepare their lesson plans to properly conduct their classes, and at the same time, they need to stay in close contact with school personnel and keep them in the loop of what is going on in their classes, accommodate for all of their students’ needs, keep the parents up to date on their children, and they have to find time for themselves and their families. Being able to do all of this simultaneously is not an easy task, yet they manage to do it no matter what. 

More than anywhere else, teachers are crucial and essential in the MENA region given the current circumstances: the political turmoil, the economic hardship, the devastating COVID-19 Pandemic, the ongoing wars and conflicts, etc. Students have been through a lot, and the only glimpse of hope they have left is their education: it has somewhat remained untouched, and students rely on their education to overcome all of these difficulties. Without teachers, they wouldn’t be able to do as teachers pave the way for their success and achievements. 

Unfortunately, teachers’ rights in the MENA region are not respected. This problem has been prevailing for quite some time, and teachers no longer want to succumb to this mistreatment and unfairness; protests, violations, harassment – they’ve seen it all. 

Looking back, we can take the example of Lebanon. In 2005, the Teacher’s Syndicate launched its teachers’ rights booklet. This was funded by the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) and was also supported by the America-Mideast Educational and Training Services in Lebanon. “The booklet also forms a documented guide to the legal knowledge of laws, decrees, and administrative decisions related to the educational body in Lebanon.” said USAID President Raoud Youssef. This gave hope to teachers and they really believed that change was on the way. 

Although this seemed like a very big achievement for teachers in Lebanon, it was not bound to last. These same teachers that were subject to these new laws that would protect their rights have to fight for them today more than ever, especially amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

As of 2020, teachers that were affiliated with the Union Coordination Committee (UCC) planned nationwide strikes and protests several times. For instance, they had planned a protest on December 17th, 2020 as a result of poor working conditions and late payment of salaries, among other things. Let’s not forget: these salaries are their only source of income, and delaying payment means that they won’t be able to provide for their families. Another protest was also planned and took place on February 11th, 2021. The goal behind this protest was to demand that the Ministry of Education and Higher Education honor contractual agreements with educators, which obviously, was not the case. 

Teachers of Morocco have been facing the same fate as well. In March 2021, they took to the streets of Rabat as a result of disproportionate salaries and temporary contracts. The protests were peaceful, and teachers were simply demanding their rights be respected, however, they were met with police brutality, harassment, and assault. “We can let go of everything except our rights,” said a Moroccan teacher during one of the most recent protests. Their basic rights as teachers have been stripped away, and they no longer have anything to lose, which is why they keep going back to the streets. 

2021 did not mark the beginning of these protests organized by the Moroccan teachers, but rather, they date back to 2019, for the exact same reasons. Back in 2019, about 10,000 teachers took to the streets of Rabat to demand permanent jobs: they wanted to put an end to renewable contracts, and instead, be given permanent jobs that would offer service benefits. Even though they have been fighting for their rights for the past two years, they will not be giving up any time soon: “We are not intimidated by the threats of the education ministry because we came to claim our right to be integrated in the civil service and defend the public school,” said Abdelilah Taloua, a young Moroccan teacher. 

On the other hand, Jordan’s Teachers Syndicate has been closed as of 2020. The government dissolved it and arrested its 13 board members based on uncertain legal grounds. The syndicate was founded in 2011 and it was a professional union that would represent teachers in Jordan, and it was the largest independent organization the country had ever seen. Police raided the headquarters in Amman on July 25th, 2020. Attorney General Hassan Abdallat issued the closure of this independent elected union for a period of two years after high-profile disputes occurred between the Jordanian Government and the Jordanian Teachers Syndicate. Given that it was the union that would represent and fight for Jordanian teachers, its closure is cause for concern and has left teachers worried and troubled about what the future holds. 

To give a bit more of perspective, teachers in the MENA region have less autonomy than teachers in OECD(Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) countries. These countries discuss and develop economic and social policies that would benefit them, and some of them are Austria, Denmark, New Zealand, and Norway. It’s no surprise that these developed countries are further ahead in terms of teachers’ rights compared to their less developed counterparts, the countries of the MENA region. It is not only the contracts and payments that are cause for concern: it goes way beyond that. Teachers should have the freedom to conduct their classes in the way they see fit and they have the right to a healthy work environment, paid maternity/paternity leave, health insurance and so much more. Yet, in many countries of the region, these rights have yet to be met. 

All in all, the situation of teachers in the MENA region is very worrisome and modifications and ramifications must be implemented immediately, before the repercussions of the current actions that are being taken against these teachers are irreversible. How is it expected from teachers to properly conduct their classes and train the leaders of tomorrow when they are not even in the right headspace to do so? When they do not even feel comfortable practicing their profession? When they are not respected and are constantly faced with harassment and assault, upon demanding their basic rights? 

Change must happen and talking about it is a first step.