419 teachers dismissed from Ministry of Education in Raqqa

A number of dismissed teachers from Raqqa Governorate held a protest outside the Ministry of Education building in Damascus, demanding their return to work and the settlement of their administrative and financial status, amid continued uncertainty over the fate of some dismissed educational staff.

The protesters’ demands focus on reinstatement, regularizing their employment status, paying their financial entitlements, and recognizing their previous years of service. They also called for treatment according to unified standards with other teachers whose cases have already been addressed.

The protest comes after the Syrian transitional government’s Ministry of Education announced last February that more than 14,500 dismissed teachers had been reinstated in two batches, including 419 teachers from Raqqa, while stating that the names and cases of remaining teachers were still being received and processed.

The protesters are calling on the ministry to handle their cases clearly and transparently and to establish clear criteria for accepting reinstatement requests, ensuring that teachers with years of experience and service in the education sector are not left without employment.

Their demands are part of a broader challenge facing the Ministry of Education during the transitional period: reorganizing the teaching workforce and resolving the status of teachers who worked in different areas during the years of war, including cases involving dismissal, permanent employment, and recognition of previous service.

ANHA