Kleesh criticises lack of contact to end teachers’ strike
LIBYA – Wasim Kleesh, spokesman for the Teachers’ Movement in Libya, said the general strike had entered its third week with no official contact from the Ministry of Education or the Prime Minister’s Office with the General Union or the movement to reach an agreement that would end the sit-in.
Verbal promises and continued disruption of classes
Speaking by phone on Libya Al-Ahrar TV, which broadcasts from Turkey and was followed by Al-Marsad, Kleesh voiced the movement’s frustration at what he said was the relevant authorities’ disregard for protests that have continued for weeks. He argued that the ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office should have offered realistic solutions and practical steps to address the sector’s problems.
He said the initial response had been limited to verbal promises that neither met the need nor did justice to teachers’ rights, and called on the executive authorities to treat the crisis as an emergency until a solution is found, given the continued disruption of the school year.
Collective decision on demands and escalation
Any decision on whether to scale back the demands, he said, must be taken by consensus of the General Union, municipal teachers’ union heads and the movement. He noted that a comprehensive strike across all schools in the country represented the highest level of escalation, and that the relevant authorities had been given weeks to act.
He also pointed to protests that had taken place in several education directorates and unions, including Al-Jadida, Zliten and Souq Al-Juma.
Students and the learning environment
Kleesh expressed teachers’ regret that classes remained suspended and students had not returned to school, stressing that the educational process rests on the complementary roles of the student, the teacher and the learning environment, and that neglecting any of those pillars prevents it from functioning properly.
Lesson allowance, salary arrears and health insurance
He reiterated that the protests are not aimed at disrupting the school year, but at securing rights that can realistically be met, foremost among them payment of the lesson allowance and salary arrears and activation of a health insurance system for teachers, as well as involving the unions in setting educational strategies and organisational matters in cooperation with the Ministry of Education to improve the educational process.
