Parents voice concern over possible teachers’ strike

AMMAN — Parents voiced their concern over rumours of a second teachers’ strike similar to the one held last year amid tensions between the Jordan Teachers’ Association (JTA) and the government.

At the beginning of the 2019/2020 academic year, teachers held a month-long strike demanding a pay raise that the government ultimately granted and an agreement under which the teachers would have to end their strike was signed.

As a result of the COVID-19’s financial repercussions, however, the raise was eliminated along with a number of other privileges given to governmental workers.

Stating that the “terms of the agreement have not been reached,” the association and its teachers began protesting again last week.

The government, however, on Wednesday said that “all 15 provisions of the agreement have been realised with only two or three items remaining as they need some legal amendments”.

Amid these tensions, parents voiced their concern over a repeat of last year’s scenario.

“Will there be a strike or not? I cannot handle another year of my children’s academic life being disrupted over feuds! The children truly are the victims here,” said Suad Qudah, a mother, in a Facebook post.

Joy Wajdat, a teacher, said in a similar post that “in case the association is planning another strike, they must keep in mind that the circumstances are different this year. Many people need to hold on to their jobs and cannot stay home with their kids or afford a nanny”.

Minister of State and Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh said on Wednesday that the government “was open to dialogue with teachers, but they showed a stubborn attitude, threatening even another nationwide strike by the beginning of the new scholastic year”.

However, Adaileh also said that the 2020/2021 academic year will start on September 1, adding that the Ministry of Education has plans to ensure a “smooth and undisrupted semester”.

In comments on Adaileh’s remarks, citizens seemed sceptical of a “smooth” school year amid rising tensions.

On July 25, Amman Attorney General Hassan Abdallat suspended the association’s council and members of its central body, as well as, ordered the closure of the syndicate and its branches for two years over “criminal and corruption charges”.

Thirteen accused JTA members were ordered detained for one week at a correctional and rehabilitation centre pending further investigation.

“How is the Ministry of Education going to ensure a smooth semester when the teachers have vowed not to return to schools as long as their president, Naser Nawasrah, is detained and their demands are not met? It does not seem feasible,” said Rama Abdullah, a lawyer, on Twitter.

Hanan Abbadi, a mother, said in a Facebook post that “it is a confusing situation with valid arguments on both sides, but the important thing is that the children do not get caught up in this dispute”.