Diyala students protest teacher shortages, demand immediate resolution to education crisis

DIYALA — Students at Abu Saab High School in Dar Al-Salam, a subdistrict of Diyala’s Khalis district, held a protest on Thursday, decrying the ongoing shortage of teaching staff that has left them without instruction in core subjects since the academic year began. Gathering in the schoolyard, the students voiced their concerns in a public statement.

“We’re now in November, and still, there are no teachers,” the statement read. “We don’t have instructors for physics, mathematics, or Arabic. No one hears us or understands our struggles, and our future is at risk if we aren’t able to study and learn. We demand an immediate solution to our problem.”

Lyth Ali, a parent, told 964media, “Abu Saab High School serves students from the first intermediate grade to the sixth scientific grade, educating hundreds of students from the villages of Dar Al-Salam. Even as we enter the 11th month, our children go to school and return without being taught the essential subjects of physics, maths, and Arabic.”

Ali expressed frustration over the delayed assignment of a full teaching team, attributing the issue to distractions within the education department due to political conflicts and frequent administrative changes. “The students are the real victims here,” he added.

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.

A similar protest erupted earlier this month in Al-Islah district, east of Dhi Qar, where students from Shaheed Mo’men Al-Sadr Primary School, alongside their parents, blocked the main road in Al-Shureish by burning tires. They demanded immediate action to address the teacher shortage impacting both primary and middle school sections.