Teachers' unrest in Iraq: Parliament to introduce key reforms
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Iraq’s Parliament convened in a special session to address the ongoing protests in the education sector, with lawmakers poised to approve “important” recommendations to improve teachers' livelihoods.
The session, part of the first legislative term of the fourth year, aims to respond to educators' demands, focusing on improving their living conditions and the quality of education across Iraq, according to the Parliament's media office.
Speaking with Shafaq News, MP Khadija al-Jabiri called today’s session “crucial,” emphasizing the challenges faced by educators, including low salaries, poor living conditions, and inadequate school facilities, which hinder their ability to deliver quality education. “Addressing these issues is essential, as teachers are the foundation of building future generations,” she said.
In response to these concerns, Al-Jabiri confirmed that Parliament would approve key measures, including instructing the government to allocate land plots and increase financial entitlements and allocations for educators.
Diving deeper into the recommendations, MP Firas Al-Muslimawi revealed to our agency that they include amending the Salary Scale Law, the Ministry of Education Law, the Teachers’ Protection Law, and recommending the inclusion of contract regularization in the budget tables, which have not yet been submitted to Parliament.
In turn, MP Haitham Al-Fahad wrote on Facebook that Parliament has recommended the government send the Civil Service Law for a vote on the salary scale, describing the move as “significant for improving the working conditions of a large segment of the Iraqi population.”
Iraq has recently witnessed a wave of protests across various provinces, including Al-Diwaniyah, Baghdad, Najaf, and Karbala, with teachers and public employees demanding fair wages and stronger legal protections.
The unrest has been particularly intense in Dhi Qar province, where over 60 school directors resigned on Wednesday, calling for a clear response from the Ministry of Education regarding the violations they and their colleagues reportedly faced during demonstrations.
