Teachers and Educators Hold Protest Gatherings in Dozens of Iranian Cities

Dozens of Iranian cities became the scene of protests by teachers and educators on Thursday, December 2nd. According to professional activists, teachers in various Iranian cities were summoned to security agencies and asked to cancel today’s gathering.

Teachers and educators, continuing their recent protests against the ranking plan approved in the Iranian parliament, gathered on Thursday, December 2nd, in front of education and training offices in various cities. According to a Telegram channel of the Coordination Council of Teachers’ Professional Organizations, today’s gathering was held “in 102 cities” across Iran.

Based on images published on social media, the Tehran gathering took place in Baharestan Square. In some of these images, police officers can be seen beating male teachers in an attempt to disperse them, while a group of female educators and teachers sit on the ground in front of police forces.

Mohammad Hassan Poori, a teacher and professional activist who participated in the Tehran gathering, told DW Persian: “The presence of police and riot control forces in the Tehran gathering was striking. As the number of protesters increased, so did the number of security forces. They tried to disperse the protesters. Tensions arose, but with the intervention of female colleagues, they did not succeed.”

According to Mr. Poori, teachers’ protests took place while in recent days security forces in Tehran and Shiraz had extensively summoned professional activists and asked them to cancel today’s nationwide protests.

In Shiraz, despite the presence of security forces around the building of the General Office of Education, teachers’ gathering was held extensively. The “Iranian Teachers’ Professional Channel” on Telegram reported that security forces clashed with protesting teachers.

Mohammad Hassan Poori continued: “Teachers in nationwide gatherings emphasized the continuation of their demands, and the demand for the freedom of imprisoned teachers is everyone’s demand.”

On Wednesday, December 15th, the Islamic Consultative Assembly approved the teacher ranking plan after 14 years of delay. Based on this plan, the minimum salary of teachers is set at 8 million and 80 thousand tomans, and the maximum at around 16 million tomans.

This plan, after months of nationwide teacher protests and the arrest and imprisonment of activists of this group, with a deadline set by teachers’ professional organizations, finally passed. However, teachers’ professional organizations announced that the approved plan is only a “patch” and teachers will continue their protests.

Masoud Kardpour, a teacher activist from Sanandaj city, told DW Persian: “Teachers’ demands are the full implementation of the teacher ranking law that has been gathering dust in parliament for years. The full implementation of this law will provide the basis for equalization and improve the payment situation of teachers and educators.”

On Tuesday, December 14th, the Coordination Council of Iran’s Teachers’ Professional Organizations announced in a statement with a deadline for parliament that if within five days parliament does not approve the “real ranking and equalization plan” and detained teachers are not released, teachers across the country will continue their protests.

What is the Teacher Ranking Plan?

The teacher ranking plan is an old plan. More than six years ago, it was first presented to the Islamic Consultative Assembly. At that time, parliament set two phases for implementing this plan. Although the first phase was approved, according to officials’ claims, it was not implemented due to lack of budget provision in the annual budget.

From then until now, the approval and implementation of this plan has been stalled. Faraj Kamijani, Secretary General of the Assembly of Iranian Educators, said that during Hassan Rouhani’s administration, the review of this plan was delayed so much that it reached the new parliament and new administration.

Ali Karimi Firouzjayee, representative from Babol, announced on Wednesday, October 12th that the review of this plan had been postponed. It is now being discussed for October 16th. In response to the further postponement of reviewing this plan, teachers in various parts of Iran began protesting.

The ranking plan essentially provides an opportunity to increase teachers’ wages. Based on this plan, teachers’ wages in Iran are determined based on 80 percent of the salary of university faculty.

Source: DW