Iraqi educators decry “timid” reforms
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Iraq’s Ana Al-Iraq (I Am Iraq) parliamentary bloc and representatives of educators criticized cabinet decisions concerning education sector staff, calling the measures inadequate and lacking real impact.
Haider Al-Salami, head of the bloc, told Shafaq News that the cabinet’s new measures offered little beyond a study on recognizing unpaid service years. “Even this step was very timid and fell short of expectations. It’s merely a study—not an approval—and applies only to promotions and salary increases, not retirement.”
Most of the remaining decisions are already enshrined in law but have been ignored by successive governments, he pointed out, urging Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s administration to implement the measures promptly, particularly the long-delayed Law No. 8 of 2018 on the protection of teachers, which has remained dormant for over six years.
In Basra, educator representative Safaa Al-Maliki rejected the cabinet’s decisions “entirely,” telling Shafaq News that the measures do not address the core demands raised during recent protests. “Today, we will announce the fate of the strike in schools,” he added.
Iraq’s cabinet issued a package of decisions concerning education ministry staff, including a proposal to study granting financial bonuses and promotions based on unpaid service periods.
In Dhi Qar, security forces arrested 10 teachers while they were being treated for injuries from protests. The province’s education directorate condemned the arrests, urged calm, and called for accountability. After a meeting with the police chief, the detained teachers were released, and authorities reaffirmed their respect for educators.
Earlier today, riot police forcibly dispersed teacher protests outside the provincial education department using smoke bombs. A security source also confirmed the arrest of Dhi Qar provincial council member Salam Al-Fayyad while participating in the demonstrations in central Al-Nasiriyah.
Cities across central and southern Iraq have witnessed widespread teachers protests since Sunday demanding salary increases, land allocations, and improved working conditions.
