Scores of teachers have staged a protest in front of the Cabinet building in downtown Cairo objecting what they call the reluctance of the movement in responding to their demands including raising the salaries and purging the corrupt officials from the ministry of education.
The protests,entitled “The Grace Period is Over,” demands the dismissal of Minister of Education Ahmed Gamal al-Din Moussa and other Education Ministry leaders.
The protest follows last Saturday's demonstration in front of the cabinet against the slow pace of reforms in the Ministry of Education, in continuation of a widespread strike that began with the start of the academic year on 17 September.
Meanwhile, the Union of Egyptian Teachers, one of the groups that called for previous protest, said it was not taking part in Saturday’s protest due to the lack of coordination between the different teachers’ movements. Teachers who belong to the Muslim Brotherhood have also said they will not protest, in order to give the government a chance to satisfy the teachers’ demands.
In a statement issued on Friday, the union said the protest lacks proper coordination and is therefore meaningless. It further added that teachers need a break after organizing two mass protests and striking for two weeks straight.
The statement said the union is organizing a campaign to inform parents of the protests’ objectives and ease tensions that have accumulated as a result of the strike.
Ahmed al-Halawany, who is in charge of education at the Muslim Brotherhood, said in a statement published on the group’s official website two days ago that Brotherhood teachers will not take part in Saturday’s protest in order to avoid delays in the academic year, protect public establishments and prevent traffic blockages.
The statement said teachers from the Brotherhood bear in mind concerns of Egyptian teachers. Brotherhood members who won in the Teachers Syndicate elections pledged to work to ensure a smooth academic year while simultaneously pressing for teachers’ demands.
The statement added that Muslim Brotherhood teachers and representatives from Teachers Without a Syndicate discussed demands with the minister, who acceded to some of them after lengthy discussions.
More than 250 movements are participating in Saturday’s protest. The Union of Egyptian Teachers and Muslim Brotherhood teachers, however, are not taking part.
Ayman al-Beyaly, vice president of the Independent Teachers Syndicate, said it is normal for the Brotherhood not to take part in the teachers’ protest, just as they regularly abstain from participation in Friday ‘million-stong’ rallies organized by political powers. Another reason for its non-participation is that the Brotherhood wishes to keep the current minister ins his place, upon instructions from the Supreme Guide.
