Shafaq News / Iraqi educators have expressed grave concern about the deteriorating state of the country's educational system due to the frequent and increasing assaults on teachers by students, parents, and even security personnel. To mitigate these pervasive practices, demands have been made for the enactment of the Teacher Protection Law, refusal to accept the tribal solution, financial compensation, or the waiver of rights by others.
The number of armed attacks and assaults on schools and educational staff has risen significantly this school year. In the most recent incidents, a student attacked her principal at al-Jana'in middle school in Dhi Qar governorate, and a student's family attacked the teaching staff at al-Zahra' middle school in Basra governorate.
According to member of the Parliamentary Education Committee, MP Nadia al-Aboudi, teachers face attacks from various sources, including "students' parents and, at times, security forces." She noted that last month, when educators demonstrated in front of the Basra Education Directorate to demand their inclusion in residential plots, security forces dealt with them severely, with beatings and insults, in an uncivilized manner inappropriate to the social status of teachers.
Al-Aboudi has urged the Prime Minister to activate the Teacher Protection Law and give teachers their legitimate rights, including obtaining residential land and improving their living conditions. Meanwhile, the head of the Iraqi Teachers' Syndicate, Abbas al-Sudani, attributed the increase in attacks on educational and teaching staff to "the ignorance of some misguided souls about the sanctity of teachers and their value in society."
Al-Sudani emphasized the importance of resorting to the law instead of the tribal solution to reduce this widespread issue. He noted that some teachers' inclination to turn to the tribal solution allows the freedom to repeat the attacks. Additionally, Zeina al-Hamdani, the principal of al-Najah school in the capital Baghdad, stated that the acceptance of financial compensation in exchange for waiving the right to complain has increased the cases of attacks on teaching staff in addition to the tribal solution.
Al-Hamdani stressed the need to deal with the attacker administratively and listen to them in order to contain their anger and try to prevent the problem from escalating. Therefore, it is imperative to take immediate measures to protect and respect the teaching profession in Iraq, as it plays a pivotal role in the nation's development and progress.
In addition to protecting the teaching staff, there is an emphasis on the role of educational counselors in solving problems. They can achieve this by organizing awareness seminars for parents and students. The counselor also highlights that some school guards may not intervene during an attack on teaching staff due to fear of tribal custom.
According to educational specialist Haider al-Bayati, the Ministries of Education and Interior need to work together to create unique safeguards for the safety of teaching staff, students, and school facilities. He emphasized the importance of building trust among educational staff, society, and students, which is crucial for the success of any educational system.
Regarding the Teachers Protection Law, legal expert Ali al-Tamimi explains that Article 5 of Law No. 8 of 2018 imposes severe punishment on anyone who assaults a teacher or makes a tribal claim against them. This includes a three-year prison sentence and a fine of 10 million dinars.
However, al-Tamimi warns that the difficulty lies not with the penalty or the law but with how the penalty is enforced to achieve social justice. He stresses that awareness is necessary from multiple sides, including clergy, the media, and schools themselves. Raising awareness can help in effectively enforcing the law and ensuring that justice is served.
