Shafaq News/ Free lecturers in Al-Sulaymaniyah, eastern Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), staged a protest on Sunday in front of the Education Directorate building, while dozens of Umm al-Rubaieen contract employees from 2012 protested in front of the Nineveh Provincial Council, demanding permanent staff appointments.

At a press conference attended by Shafaq News Agency, Al-Sulaymaniyah protest spokesperson Muhammad Kamal stated that “the protesters objected to what they considered a violation by the authorities in appointing a teacher in one of Al-Sulaymaniyah’s education branches with a contract salary of 500,000 dinars (382.09 USD).”

“This step violates priorities, as appointments should go to unpaid lecturers who have served the education system for years.”

Kamal further noted that “the affected lecturers didn't end the recent strike; it was halted by the party authority overseeing the Directorate of Education, pressuring the lecturers through the administrations of educational institutions.”

As for the “Umm Al-Rubaieen” support contract employees, Shafaq News Agency correspondent said, “They demonstrated, demanding expedited appointment procedures based on the orders approved by Parliament since 2022, which are included in the 2023 and 2024 budgets.”

The demonstrators told our correspondent that “924 Umm Al-Rubaieen support employees from Nineveh have yet to be permanently appointed.”

“Peers from support contracts in other governorates have started working in Diyala and Maysan, while those in Nineveh have yet to be appointed.”

Notably, corruption in Iraq’s education sector has severely impacted appointments, with the post-2003 sectarian quota system leading to widespread mismanagement and the use of the Ministry of Education to secure positions and contracts for political supporters. This corruption has resulted in a crumbling public education infrastructure, high dropout rates, and an overreliance on private education, while “scandals” involving large contracts and misappropriated funds exacerbate the crisis, further undermining the sector's quality.