Teachers across Iran held demonstrations on Thursday, protesting government policies and poor living conditions. The rallies were held in front of the offices of the education ministry in at least a dozen cities.
The teachers are protesting the regime’s delays and obstructions in implementing the “ranking bill” and the systemic repression of teacher activists in Iran.
In a statement, the teachers stressed that despite several round of protests, the regime refuses to adjust their employment and salaries.
April 21 – Shiraz, south-central #Iran
Teachers across the country are holding rallies to protest poor work and living conditions.#IranProtests#اعتراضات_سراسری_معلمان pic.twitter.com/T0YAg8Sc2w— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 21, 2022
Last month, the Majlis passed the “Teachers Ranking” bill, which is supposed to address many of the problems the teachers have been faced within recent years.
According to the bill, teachers will be classified according to “general, specialized and professional qualifications, experience, and competitive function” and divided into five rankings. Salaries will be determined based on the ranking of the teachers.
While the regime has boasted about the bill and its achievements, Iranian teachers are calling out the regime for not addressing their needs. The teachers are demanding for the resignation of the education minister, who has shown no competence in reforming the education system and improving the conditions of teachers and students.
April 21 – Neyshabur, northeast #Iran
Teachers across the country are holding rallies to protest poor work and living conditions."Incompetent minister, resign, resign!" they're chanting.#IranProtests#اعتراضات_سراسری_معلمانpic.twitter.com/NRbVowV7lt
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 21, 2022
The teachers are also demanding free education for children and are warning that the absence of free education is leading to an increase in child labor. According to the regime’s own official statistics, thousands of children in Tehran alone are working because their families can’t afford to send them to school.
In their statement, the teachers also protest to the systemic repression of their protests and movements. The teachers refer to “a new round of repressive measures” against teachers, including long prison sentences for teacher activists. Security forces are summoning and threatening teachers. Regime officials have not responded to the just demands of the teachers “and instead of being accountable, are resorting to the wrong methods they have used in the past,” the statement says.
April 21 – Sanandaj, western #Iran
Teachers across the country are holding rallies to protest poor work and living conditions."Release imprisoned teachers!" they're chanting.#IranProtests#اعتراضات_سراسری_معلمانpic.twitter.com/SzvZBI1jBY
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 21, 2022
In the past year, Iranian teachers have held six rounds of nationwide protests. On Thursday, the teachers stressed that they will stay in the streets until they meet their demands. “The street is ours, and until all our demands are met, repression and jail and false dossiers will not force the teachers’ movement to back down a single step,” the statement reads.
The regime has tried to intimidate the teachers by describing their rallies as a “security threat” and paving the way for their repression.
On December 15, the state-run Keyhan newspaper warned that the rallies are being carried away and controlled by the “enemies of the state.”
April 21 – #Iran
Teachers across the country are holding rallies to protest poor work and living conditions.Rasht – Mashhad – Zanjan – Hamedan#IranProtests#اعتراضات_سراسری_معلمان pic.twitter.com/R5YViOqdPc
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 21, 2022
Meanwhile, Javan newspaper, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), tried to downplay the teacher’s demands and complained that 72 percent of the education budget increase has been allocated to the teachers. “Instead of allocating our credit to expand the education system and increase the quality of education, we are spending it on salaries,” the newspaper wrote.
It is worth mentioning that Javan’s owner, the IRGC, has seen a 240-percent year-over-year increase to spend billions of dollars on foreign terrorism, ballistic missiles, internet censorship, and domestic repression.
The Iranian is maintaining teachers’ salaries at a low level. Many teachers have to work on several shifts and jobs just to make ends meet. Their salaries are under half the poverty line, which is reported to be 120-140 million rials per month. In recent years, as the economy has continued to decline under the corrupt rule of the mullahs, many teachers have committed suicide due to poverty and not being able to provide for their basic needs.
April 21 – #Iran
Teachers across the country are holding rallies to protest poor work and living conditions.Yazd – Bahmai – Sanandaj – Ahvaz#IranProtests#اعتراضات_سراسری_معلمان pic.twitter.com/LXDtguQLlo
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 21, 2022
