Working Conditions for Teachers Need urgent Improvement

On 24 November, the "Teachers' Day" in Turkey, the Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) reprimanded that neither the constantly deteriorating working conditions of teachers nor their social and economic problems were being discussed on any of the teachers' days.

Eğitim-Sen said in a statement, "24 November is a date with historic significance as the day when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's 'State School Principalship' was accepted. Nevertheless, we may not forget that Teachers' Day became a day to symbolize what kind of teacher is wanted by the 12 September [1980 military coup] attitude".

Teachers are not being appointed or have to cope with additional work

The Eğitim-Sen statement mentioned a series of problems for teachers:

* Decree Law (KHK) No.652 made the corporate structure and personnel system of the National Education Ministry (MEB) more compatible with the market. KHK No.666 increased additional payments for upper-level managers but teachers were excluded from the scope of this decree law.

* Steps towards drudgery and flexible work beyond the working hours of teachers have accelerated. An increased workload makes it difficult for teachers to fulfil their duty in a healthy way.

* Teachers are subject to mandatory rotation (change of place) after 15 years. This is like a banishment.

* Appointments for more than 30,000 unemployed teachers have still not been made. Under widespread conditions of drudgery it is impossible to speak of a quality education service.

* Many Eğitim-Sen members and executives have been arrested just like Prof Büşra Ersanlı to mention in the first place.

"Professional and personal rights must suit to human dignity"

Eğitim-Sen proposed a number of recommendations to solve the above mentioned problems:

* Professional and personal rights of teachers should be improved to reach a level that suits to human dignity. This concerns the salaries of the teachers especially.

* Teacher training and employment policies should be handled according to international standards and with scientific understanding. That way, the increasingly dwindling reputability of the profession would be regained.

* Additionally, the arbitrary in appointments and promotions should be stopped. Teachers who applied to be appointed to a different place due to their spouses' circumstances should be appointed to the other location.

* Resuming education and teaching in Van where 75 teachers died in the earthquake without solving the housing problems of teachers and rebuilding damaged schools would equal murder. (NV/VK)