The Association of Contractual Teachers in Public Basic Education rejected the strike planned to be carried out on Monday and Tuesday, and stressed that the contractual teachers “are not concerned with a suspicious strike,” in a step considered an escalation towards the public education associations.
The association explained in a statement that it rejects the call for a strike, considering the decision “random” and the teachers were not consulted about it, pointing out that contractors constitute 80% of the teaching staff in basic education, and decisions cannot be made in their name without referring to them.
The association explicitly criticized the Teachers’ Association in Malak, and considered that its decisions “stem from calculations outside the framework of educational rights,” and stressed that the current demands, especially related to salaries, are unrealistic in light of the current economic and security conditions.
The statement pointed to the difficulties faced by the education sector, starting from the war and economic deterioration to the approaching end of the school year, considering that the strike at this time will not have a real impact, but may even negatively affect the students.
In return, the association renewed its demands to approve the full tenure of contract professors, provide urgent financial aid, and increase the transportation allowance, noting that the value of salaries has decreased significantly and is no longer commensurate with the cost of living.
She also appealed to the Minister of Education, Rima Karami, to intervene to ensure the continuation of the educational process, and not to impose a strike on schools.
This statement reflects the depth of disagreement within the educational body in Lebanon, between the associations of owners and contract teachers, due to the different priorities and living conditions of each group.
Contract professors, who represent the largest portion of the educational body, depend mainly on hourly wages, which makes any strike a direct loss for them, unlike full-time professors who receive fixed salaries.
This crisis comes in a broader context of the collapse witnessed by the public sector, as the state is unable to provide fair increases and resorts to temporary solutions, which increases tension between employees and official authorities.
The timing of the strike, as the end of the school year approaches, places the sector facing an additional challenge, as any disruption may harm the educational process, given the already weak educational system.
