The Ministry of Education issued a statement on Monday addressing concerns circulating on social media regarding the rights of education sector employees, particularly contracted teachers.
The ministry emphasized that Minister of Education Rima Karami has made improving the status of education workers a key priority since assuming office. According to the statement, this commitment has already begun to yield results, including a recent decree that addressed several core demands from the sector.
One of the key measures introduced involves revising the mechanism for disbursing “productivity” payments—now integrated into monthly salaries or hourly wages for contracted teachers. This move aligns with a Cabinet directive to halt cash advances and ensure compliance with the general budget framework.
The statement also highlighted Karami’s immediate outreach to teachers’ associations and committees representing both basic and secondary education contractors. The ministry expressed appreciation for their decision to suspend strike action, which facilitated the presentation of their full list of demands to the Council of Ministers. The statement added that the Cabinet chose to examine these demands in accordance with legal parameters.
The statement praised the majority of teachers who resumed classes ahead of the upcoming Cabinet session, coinciding with the release of overdue wages. Karami urged stakeholders to continue dialogue grounded in “reason and responsibility,” distancing herself from divisive rhetoric that she said undermines the role of educators.
In coordination with the Ministry of Finance, Karami is also working to devise a financial plan that would ensure sustainable funding for legitimate educational demands.
The statement concluded with a reaffirmation of Karami’s overarching goal “to establish a fair and dignified salary scale that reflects the professional stature of educators and guarantees justice for all workers in the education sector.”
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