ŞÎNYAR BAYÎZ

Sulaymaniyah  – In the Kurdistan Region, teachers, who graduated from universities, have not been appointed since 2014 due to the economic crisis. Forced to work under contract, the teachers have held demonstrations, protests and marches to demand their rights and call on the government, parliament and the Ministry of Education; however, no step has been taken to solve their problems until now. On the contrary, security forces have often used violence against them and taken them in custody for demanding their rights. With the start of the school year, the problem of nearly 30,000 contract teachers has become the main topic in the region again.

“Their rights are not given”

“The contract teachers’ rights are not given to them,” contract teacher and activist Medenî Govend Receb said, “The Ministry of Education has separated teachers as contract, official and voluntary teachers. Many contract teachers have been dismissed, particularly in Duhok and its surrounding districts. The contract teachers work more but they do not have any rights. When the contract teachers advise their students to study, they are told, ‘Why should I study? To be like you?’. So the contract teachers remain silent.”

“There are 30,000 contract teachers”

Indicating that the number of contract teachers increases every year, Medenî Govend Receb said that there are about 30,000 contract teachers in the Kurdistan Region now. “If the government had had a policy for contract teachers, their number would not be so high now. All around the world, people study to get a diploma and they find a job according to their education. However, the people in the Kurdistan Region cannot find a job even if they have a diploma. Some teachers have been working under contract for about 13 years but they do not have plans for the future.”

“The contract teachers feel like merchants of the state”

Emphasizing that the contract teachers feel like merchants of the state due to wrong educational policy of the government, Medenî Govend Receb said, “Last year, the contract teachers took to the streets after the announcement of the decision No.14 by the Ministry of Education. In addition, this decision worsened the situation of contract teachers; they could not receive their budget on time.”

“They are afraid of being fired”

“Contract teachers are afraid of being fired by the state,” Medenî Govend Receb said, “Last year, the contract teachers sent 111 letters to 111 parliamentarians. However, the parliamentary speaker did not have the authority to solve the problems of contract teachers. At the beginning of each school year, the Ministry of Education says that they have new projects to improve the conditions of contract teachers; however, they do nothing.”

“Teachers were arrested for demanding their rights”

Stating that contract teachers called for boycotts in order to get their rights without the support of any political parties, she said, “We called for boycotts and held peaceful protests in order to get our rights; however, many contract teachers were arrested.”

“All we want is the appointment of teachers”

“Young people are in despair and want to go to other countries due to the wrong policies of the government,” Medenî Govend Receb said, “Minister Ali Hamid al-Dilimi has not taken a step so far although he promised to solve the problems faced by contract teachers. All we want is the appointment of 30,000 contract teachers.”