The founding committee of the Independent Teachers Syndicate staged a protest on Monday in front of the Education Ministry building to demand the resignation of Education Minister Ahmad Zaki Badr and Health Minister Hatem el-Gabali following the death of seven teachers within the last two weeks. The teachers had been proctoring the first round of high school final exams at the time of their deaths. As Badr thanked teachers for their work, demonstrators held up banners criticizing his treatment of the proctors, which they described as "insulting." Protesters indicated that many teachers, regardless of whether they were syndicate members, were considering boycotting the second round of high school exams until the two ministers tendered their resignations. Al-Masry Al-Youm learned that Badr had issued orders to double the work of exam proctors in exchange for doubling their pay. According to a ministry directive, exam proctors this year will receive 28 days of extra pay--or a 7-percent addition to their base salary--compared to 14 days of extra pay received last year. Protesters wrapped up their demonstration by singing the Egyptian national anthem, but facetiously changed the words of the hymn: "There is still political and economic oppression in Egypt… I want a revolution," teachers chanted to the familiar tune. In related news, employees of the Educational Facilities Authority, a department within the Education Ministry, continued their demonstrations on Monday--for the eleventh consecutive day--to protest Badr's decision not to pay them bonuses this year. Badr has offered them a two-month bonus, but spokesmen for the employees say they will not accept anything less than 15-month bonuses. Protesters demanded a video conference with the minister aimed at resolving the dispute. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
