CAIRO: Slow implementation of the new teachers' law has fueled worries that Al Azhar academics and non-teaching staff working under the Ministry of Education would be dropped from the list of potential beneficiaries. Member of Parliament Saad El Katatany told Daily News Egypt that the Ministry of Education didn't implement the newly approved law on academics working at Al Azhar universities and schools and the non-teaching staff. Prior to the parliament approval of the teachers' law last June, legislators had added Al Azhar and non-teaching staff to the law draft, according to El Katatny. The law was put into action in some schools last July. The Ministry of Education, however, has just announced that it will present to the Cabinet the set of regulations that would guide the implementation of the law, he added. This procedure should have been finalized before introducing the law but due to media pressure, the Ministry of Education felt obliged to start implementing the new law in some schools, El Katatny explained. This decision has led to problems and demonstrations taking place among teachers of the schools where the promised raises were not received, El Katatny added. The law, which was introduced by the Ministry of Administrative Development around six months ago, is expected to increase salaries by 50 percent. The salary increase, which may appear substantial, would not exceed LE 100 in some cases. According to the Ministry of Education s statement in parliament, the budget of the new law, is estimated to reach around LE 1.5 billion and is to be implemented in public, private and Al Azhar schools. However, MP Farid Ismail, told Daily News Egypt that the Ministry of Finance, which he described as a failed ministry, has only released LE 110 million, so far. Although they had previously announced that the budget for the first phase of the new law is expected to be around LE 1.5 billion, Ismail added. According to El Katatny, the law will be completely implemented in all areas by next year, according to the Ministry of Education, which is contrary to what it had previously announced. The new Teachers Law was outlined in President Hosni Mubarak s election program and should have been implemented in 2006, El Katatny said. By next year, there will be about 60,000 teachers working under the authority of the Ministry of Education.
