Fifty-two education movements and associations announced Friday they would participate in a "teacher's demonstration" scheduled for next Wednesday, 10 September in front of the cabinet in Garden City. At the protest, teachers plan to demand the dismissal of Education Minister Ahmed Gamal Eddin Moussa, 200 percent raises for teachers, granting temporary teachers full employment rights in all governorates, increasing pay for exam proctors, and setting a minimum wage of LE1200. Moussa said the academic year would start as scheduled on 17 September next week, adding that the Supreme Council for Pre-University Education will hold a meeting early next week to discuss measures to be taken in preparation for the new academic year. Members of the Independent Teachers Syndicate called on teachers to stage demonstrations nationwide on Wednesday if the cabinet and the education minister continue to ignore their demands, asserting that their slogan will be "An academic year without teachers." "We will prove to the minister of education in the protest that teachers are one hand against injustice, abuses and attempts to circumvent their demands," the Independent Teachers Syndicate said in a statement Wednesday, adding that the minister and what the statement called "exploiters" have been plotting to thwart the teachers' demands. The statement also said the education minister has not provided any real solutions to their problems, and that he only makes promises without taking practical steps toward realizing them. Ayman al-Bialy, head of the Independent Teachers Syndicate, said the coordinators of the 52 participating movements and associations will hold a meeting on 5 September to discuss how to guarantee their demonstration will remain peaceful. The education minister said the allegation that teachers are being deprived of raises is false, and that they have gotten more than the 200 percent raises they have demanded, excepting assistant teachers. The Independent Teachers Syndicate was formed as an extension to a teacher protest movement that began in 2007, triggered by an amendment to Egypt's education law that gives the government more leeway to hire and fire newly appointed teachers. Translated from the Arabic Edition
