Teachers to press for better facilities despite warning

Manama: The government's recent warning against strikes at educational institutions would not stop educators from demanding better career chances and salary increments, an educator said yesterday.

Mahdi Abu Deep, Head of Teacher Society, told Gulf News yesterday the Ministry of Education's statements about banning strikes were clear indications of its uncooperative approach to rectify the situation of teachers.

On Wednesday, the Assistant Undersecretary of Administrative Affairs, Shaikh Hesham Al Khalifa, warned educators who intend to go ahead with their strike plans of disciplinary action against them.

Affecting students

Shaikh Hesham said that strikes could affect the teaching and psychological conditions of students, especially young children.

He said that the law regulating public gatherings, processions and rallies bans protestors from striking near hospitals, educational and military organisations.

"The statements of Shaikh Hesham are very upsetting since if the ministry took real actions to improve the situations of teachers, then why would they go all the way to strike?" Abu Deep asked.

He said that teachers can decide whether to strike or not since they are citizens and have the right to protest and fight for their demands according to the laws and regulations.

Abu Deep said that teachers would soon hold a meeting to discuss the statements and mechanism to deal with the ban.

From the last academic year, the teachers have been calling for full implementation of a package that would increase their salaries and give them better chances of promotion.

Abu Deep has been preparing a petition that many teachers have signed demanding better privileges. The process of gathering signatures was done secretly at public schools as the ministry had warned educators not to engage in any other activity besides teaching.

Teachers protested early this year near the ministry's headquarters for immediate implementation of the cadre.

"We aren't asking for impossible things and our demands should be fulfilled out of appreciation of the teachers' contributions," he said. "Teachers' duties are not easy and they have to concentrate and work hard to teach youngsters as poor teaching could lead to disasters in future."

Regarding the ministry's plan to appoint expatriate teachers in 30 specialisations, Abu Deep said that the society wouldn't object if the recruitment is done due to the shortage of local manpower, but before recruiting non-Bahrainis the government should make sure that there are no local jobseekers in the waiting list who could fill the posts.

Bahrain has a shortage of local teaching manpower in some subjects, especially those with industrial and technical qualifications.

Suad Hamada is a journalist based in Manama