The Association of Contract Teachers in Public Basic Education in Lebanon called for issuing an immediate decision aimed at raising salaries, based on the full contract law and the government decree related to social assistance, in light of the worsening living crisis and the repercussions resulting from the war.
In a statement, the association confirmed that high prices had become “pacing the pace of war,” and believed that the current hourly wage, which amounts to $8.2, is no longer sufficient to meet the minimum living needs, especially in light of displacement and increasing economic pressures.
The association also criticized the Ministry of Education’s failure to respond to the demands of teachers, noting that all the statements issued focused on the continuity of education, without addressing the living conditions of teachers.
The association expressed its surprise at the decision to raise the wages of Lebanese University professors to between $30 and $45 per hour, considering that this decision reflects “clear discrimination” within the formal educational sector, and reinforces what it described as “classism” among teachers.
The association stressed that any increase in salaries must include all contractors at various educational levels, and not be limited to one group or another, and called for the application of standards of justice and equality in official decisions.
At the conclusion of its statement, the association called on teachers to take action to raise their voices and demand their rights, demanding the issuance of an urgent decision that does justice to contractors in basic education, in light of the exceptional circumstances that Lebanon is going through.
