- Title: JORDAN: Teachers strike leaves more than one million students with no classes
- Date: 16th February 2012
- Summary: STUDENTS STANDING OUTSIDE SCHOOL MORE OF STUDENTS IN SCHOOL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ZAIDUN MUHTASEB, TEACHER AT A GOVERNMENT SCHOOL, SAYING: "We care about students, we care about them returning to school, but the government hasn't dealt with our demands in a proper manner. They have threatened to use other groups to replace teachers." STREET NEAR SCHOOL SIGN IN ARABIC RE
- Embargoed: 2nd March 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Jordan, Jordan
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA7LIILJIDMD13DIZQAX7K16YMP
- Story Text: A nation-wide strike of public school teachers continued on Thursday (February 16) as authorities remain defiant not to give in to demands of teachers for better pay and annual bonuses.
The two-week long strike is the first of its kind in Jordan's modern history, leaving 1.2 million students without education.
Striking teachers accuse the government of turning a blind eye to their demands.
"We care about students, we care about them returning to school, but the government hasn't dealt with our demands in a proper manner. They have threatened to use other groups to replace teachers," said teacher Zaidoun Muhtaseb.
The government said this week it would not give in to teachers' demands and threatened to bring in army officers to replace 90,000 striking teachers.
But for many students, especially those who are in their final year, the strike comes at the wrong time.
"The strike does not help us and not even the teachers are benefiting from this," said one student preparing for his high school certificate exam, locally known as 'Tawjihi'.
"I am final year student. We have missed many classes. They do not have the right to strike because they are jeopardising our future, and we end up missing a lot of classes," he said.
Teachers are asking for a 100 percent increase in their annual bonus which the government has given them in past years. But, the education minister Eid Dhayyat told a parliament meeting last week that under the current economic conditions, they would pay the teachers 10 percent more, which would translate into an 80 percent increase in their annual bonus.
Teachers in private schools called on peers in the public sector to reconsider their position.
"I do not support the strike as it wastes a lot of time and students start losing interest in attending classes and going to school. I call on all teachers to stop the strike," said teacher Abla Jaabari.
But one parent said student guardians should side with the teachers.
"We would like to see students studying, but we would like to support teachers. Parents and guardians should endure a bit, even go and protest with them because this is also for the good of the students, not just the teachers, " Mohammed Obeidat, the father of student who goes to a private school.
A growing inflation and rising energy bill has weighed down the government budget for 2012, which is expected to run with a deficit of nearly 1.5 billion U.S. dollars.
The aid-dependent kingdom has been struggling to balance its books with a drop in foreign assistance during 2011 as a result of a global economic crisis. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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