Burning tyres

Students, parents protest teacher shortage by blocking road in Al-Islah district

DHI QAR — In protest over a severe shortage of teachers, students from Shaheed Mo’men Al-Sadr Primary School, along with their parents, blocked the main road in the Al-Shureish area of Al-Islah district, east of Dhi Qar, by burning tires. The protesters demanded immediate action to address the lack of teaching staff for both the primary school and its attached secondary section, which serves students in the first and second years of middle school.

“We held this protest to demand teaching staff for our children. The school is severely understaffed, despite having six primary school grades and two middle school grades,” local resident Mohammed Ouda told 964media.

Ouda called on the Minister of Education and Dhi Qar’s Education Department to resolve the issue. “We urge officials to focus on Shaheed Mo’men Al-Sadr Primary School and its secondary extension. The school needs to be prioritized in staffing decisions by the committee overseeing educational supervision. Additionally, the secondary section has qualified to become a full middle school for the past four years and should be expanded.”

One of the protesting students held up a sign reading, “We ask the Dhi Qar Education Department for a swift solution,” while another sign simply asked, “Until when?”

Parents expressed growing concerns about their children’s education, fearing that the lack of staff could lead to students dropping out. They continue to call for urgent solutions to prevent further disruptions.

The 2024 academic year in Iraq began on September 22, with over 12 million students returning to classrooms. Despite having approximately 750,000 teachers nationwide, Iraq still needs an additional 88,000 staff to meet educational demands, according to the Ministry of Planning.

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