Amidst the confusion and differing viewpoints regarding the call for a strike scheduled for Thursday, October 23, among teachers’ associations in various official educational stages, and the controversy it has stirred, Dr. Nisreen Shaheen clarified: Head of the Association of Contract Teachers in Basic Official Education in Lebanon, in a statement to, that “a meeting was held between all the associations and the Minister of Education last Thursday, during which it was agreed to form a small committee to follow up on the issue with the concerned authorities. The meeting ended without reference to any escalation steps or a call for a strike in the near future, due to the absence of any new developments that could lead to immediate solutions or decisive decisions in the coming days.”
She added: “Every strike must have a specific goal. The question here is: What is the practical goal of this strike? And can a one-day strike, followed by a return to classrooms as if nothing happened, achieve real gains or pressure for solutions?”
She pointed out that “the situation of contract teachers differs from that of permanent teachers. A strike for permanent teachers does not entail any material loss, while contract teachers lose a full day’s pay, making any unorganized or ill-considered move a costly and ineffective step at the same time.”
Shaheen stressed: that “the association does not announce a strike unless there is a clear plan for escalatory moves, and a specific goal that warrants stopping teaching, because we believe that union actions must be studied and effective and enjoy broad consensus to ensure tangible results.”
She concluded by emphasizing that “the position of the Association of Contract Teachers agrees with the position of the associations that announced no strike. Therefore, Thursday will be a normal school day in official schools, with our full respect for the right of the remaining associations to take the position they deem appropriate, whether it is to strike or continue teaching.”
source: 961 today
