Libya: Schools close, education minister pressured to resign

Posted On 14 November 2019

Number of times this article was read : 82

Tripoli, Nov 14, 2019 (By Nawas Al-Darraji) – A Libyan teachers’ strike over salaries and “phantom” employees has closed schools for the past month in a country where education has already been hard hit by conflict and political turmoil. The teachers, who earn on average 800 dinars ($620) a month, are demanding the resignation of education minister Othman Abdel Jalil and pay rises from Tripoli’s Government of National Accord (GNA). Jalil has ordered the suspension of hundreds of striking teachers and the dismissal of tens of thousands of others who are on the ministry’s payroll but without ever turning up for work.

The strike affects most public schools and universities, including in eastern Libya controlled by military strongman Khalifa Haftar who in April launched an offensive against the Tripoli-based GNA. Although Libya is divided, the United Nations-recognised GNA pays public sector salaries across the country, using oil revenues managed by the central bank, also based in the capital.

– Corruption-riddled civil service –

As part of moves against corruption, Jalil in October stirred an uproar among teachers by estimating that more than 150,000 phantom workers were on the education ministry payroll. The education sector employs 500,000 people, in a country of six million, according to labour ministry figures. Corruption has riddled Libya’s civil service since the time of Moamer Kadhafi. After the former dictator’s overthrow in 2011, successive transitional authorities have struggled to tackle the sensitive issue of eliminating fake jobs, notably in the health and education sectors.

In an initial response to strikers’ demands, the GNA decided last week to split the education ministry into a department for elementary and secondary schooling and another for higher education. This concession failed to placate strikers, and a month after schools and universities were scheduled to reopen, most remain closed. Jalil himself considered the GNA’s decision a personal affront and offered his resignation. Khaled Techour, a teacher in a high school in Tajoura east of Tripoli, said the strike would continue despite the concession. “One of our conditions has been met: the separation of general and higher education. But there remains the matter of pay rises,” he said. “While fortunes are being spent on wars and conflict, we are ignored,” he said.

– Teachers ‘ignored for years’ –

In the latest showdown, Tripoli’s southern outskirts have been a battleground since April between Haftar’s forces and pro-GNA fighters. Dozens of schools near the frontlines are closed, while others in Tripoli have been turned into accommodation for the displaced. Striker Khayriya al-Kamjaji said teachers in Libya have long been marginalised. “We’ve been ignored for years,” said Kamjaji, a history teacher at a middle-school in Tripoli with four decades of work experience.  “We don’t trust government any more,” said Kamjaji. Rachad Bicher, who heads a crisis cell at the education ministry, was sympathetic. “Teachers’ demands are legitimate and the government must take them seriously,” he said.

The GNA’s prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj, has met a delegation of teachers, pledging to consider their demands “as soon as possible”. Meanwhile, students are left waiting for classes to resume. “I don’t support school closures… It’s not in the interest of teachers or students,” said Saleh Ben Rajab, a primary school headmaster in Zawiya, 45 kilometres (30 miles) west of Tripoli.

By AFP

The North Africa Journal's WhatsApp Group
.

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Libya’s fragmented military and competition for its control

Libya’s fragmented military and competition for its control

While the world is focused on the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, a power struggle continues to destabilize Libya, with protagonists competing for the control of the armed forces. Three factions are now at the center of an ongoing struggle over the fate of the...

Algeria: Diphtheria and Malaria outbreak in southern border regions claims at least 40 lives

Algeria: Diphtheria and Malaria outbreak in southern border regions claims at least 40 lives

Algeria’s southern provinces are experiencing an outbreak of malaria and diphtheria, with the authorities working to reassure that public that “the situation is stable.” The most affected region appears to be Timiaouine, in the Bordj Badji Mokhtar province. The Algerian Health Security Agency says  the two diseases have already claimed the lives of 40 people. Local sources say the malaria outbreak is due to marshes formed after heavy rains hit the region in September.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This